Best Available Free Agent - Fantasy Baseball 2024

Well, we are now in the month of June and baseball is heating up! Fantasy baseball teams around the nation are still searching for ways to land a championship trophy for the 2024 season.
 
Any experienced fantasy player will consistently monitor the free agent market. Mid-season pickups can often be the difference between a contender and pretender when it comes to fantasy baseball.
 
So, are there any solid pickups available on the free agency market right now????
 
Well, first, before I answer that question, I want to brag a bit about my article from May 4, 2024. I advised that Ryan Jeffers, the catcher for the Minnesota Twins, was a SOLID pickup! He was only rostered by 67% of leagues in Yahoo Sports at the time I wrote the article.
 
Well, since my article was published, Jeffers has been a hot item! As of June 1st, he is rostered by 82% of all leagues in Yahoo. He crushed another 7 homeruns since the article was written less than a month ago. I think it is safe to say that my free agent pickup was a WINNER!
 
So, who am I recommending now? Well, I will say his name is anything but a “sleeper” name. He is actually one of the best in baseball. He will be an automatic Hall of Famer after he retires.
 
His name? CLAYTON KERSHAW!
 
Kershaw, the legend of the L.A. Dodgers has had a DOMINANT career in Major League Baseball. He is only 56 strikeouts short of 3,000, and he has an unbelievable career E.R.A. of 2.48 to go along with a career W.H.I.P. of 1.00.  After his rookie year, during which time he posted an E.R.A. of 4.26, he went 13 out of 15 seasons with an E.R.A. under 3.00, which is just downright absurd!
 
So how is he doing this season? Well, he has not played yet! Kershaw had left shoulder surgery in 2023 and has been on the injured reserves ever since. For this reason, many fantasy players avoided drafting him when the season began.
 
He is expected to return in late July or early August. It is encouraging to note that he has recently thrown in multiple batting practice sessions and it is looking like a real possibility he will back on the field before the fantasy playoffs begin. There have been no negative reports regarding his progress. No setbacks have been observed.
 
As of June 1, 2024, Clayton Kershaw is only rostered by 34% of Yahoo leagues. If your league allows for multiple “IR” spots on your roster, then you should be scooping him up now if somebody hasn’t already.
 
We do not know if Kershaw will have the same effectiveness as before when he returns, but even a half-healthy Kershaw is probably better for your fantasy team than a healthy no-name bum off the waiver wire.
 
Also, remember that he still plays for the Dodgers, which means he has PLENTY of talent around him. The Dodgers rank third in scoring in the National League, so Kershaw will have plenty of run support as he pitches for the team holding the National League’s second-best record. Even if Kershaw is a bit rusty, you will still have an excellent chance for the Wins and Strikeouts categories, at the very least.
 
Many wonder if he will actually be back before the Dodgers enter the post-season. He should be. The Dodgers don’t want his first game back to be in a high-stakes playoff game. They would likely rather see him pitch in some regular season games to give himself enough time to get this “mojo” back before the playoffs commence.
 
So, do you have room on your roster for him? If you can pick him up and place him on your IR, then what are you waiting for? We are talking about Clayton Kershaw, folks!
 
He is worth a stash on your roster. Please do not wait too long to make the move. Trust me when I say you are not the only one keeping an eye on him.

Better to pick him up too early than too late! Kershaw will be a HUGE ASSET to any fantasy team as they make their playoff runs.