On July 18, both the 2025 MLB and fantasy baseball seasons will resume. And, it means a week-and-a-half grind to lock up a win in head-to-head leagues, or continuing or re-gaining momentum in roto leagues. Here’s a look at five pitchers for Week 16 to consider targeting, both for the short & long term.
Best Week 16 pitchers to target
- SP Bailey Falter (Pirates)
- SP Ryne Nelson (Diamondbacks)
- RP Griffin Jax (Twins)
- SP Trevor Rogers (Orioles)
- SP Emmet Sheehan (Dodgers)
First up is Bailey Falter, who will get the White Sox on July 18 out of the break. It’s a soft matchup in a week when most starters will get two in various fantasy formats.
Next is Ryne Nelson, who’s filled in nicely for the D-Backs, a team besieged by pitching injuries. Across his last three starts, Nelson posted a 1.98 ERA and struck out 12 across 13 frames. That ERA figure ranked just outside the top-30 from June 25 through July 13, among pitchers with two or more starts.
Trevor Rogers, meanwhile, has gotten back into a groove and put up some of his best numbers since 2021 over the last few weeks. Although he walked five across his last 12 frames, the Orioles’ left-hander struck 11 and posted a strong 1.50 ERA. And, he surrendered just seven hits.
Rogers has gotten back to basics, letting that four-seamer with the flat approach angle work. He’s thrown the four-seamer 40.6% of the time this season, the highest the usage has been for him since 2022. It’s been a strong offering, as batters are hitting .149 off it, along with a 26% Whiff%.
Last on the starters’ portion of this list is Emmet Sheehan. Sheehan picked up his first win of 2025 on July 12, piggybacking for Shohei Ohtani as the latter slowly ramps up from Tommy John surgery recovery.
The numbers on Sheehan have been great, including a 33.6% Chase% overall, and an above-average 28.6% Whiff%. It’ll take some extra work to keep up on when he pitches but he’s worth the add.
We also have Griffin Jax, the Twins’ set-up man, on this list.
Jax, who’s pitched very well since the start of May, has seen his name in the trade rumor mill. Both he and Jhoan Duran are reportedly targets of interest for the Phillies, a team in need of bullpen help with Jose Alvarado ineligible for the postseason.
If Jax, who has two years of team control, were to be traded to a contender like the Phillies or another team that could use another late-inning arm, the right-hander may be in line for more save opportunities. Or, he could become the Twins’ preferred late-inning option if Duran were to be moved.
Overview of Week 15
Overall, Week 15 went pretty well if you listened to us.
Brayan Bello and Richard Fitts both secured wins against the Rockies, while Eric Lauer came up just short but struck out seven across four innings. We’ll see what Yu Darvish can do in the second half after two unspectacular starts before the break.
Check out more of our fantasy coverage, including a look at the best second-half IL stashes.