Herbert Jones

Jones recently signed a four-year, $54 million contract with New Orleans, indicating that the franchise sees him as an important part of their core. The 24-year-old forward is unlikely to put up gaudy numbers, but his consistency with his availability and production is a positive asset for fantasy managers. Jones played in 68 games in 2022-23 after making 78 appearances in the previous season. Last year, he averaged 9.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals in 29.5 minutes on 46.9/33.5/76.4 shooting splits. While his efficiency isn't abysmal, it also isn't a major positive. A large portion of Jones' fantasy value comes from his defensive production, as he ranked eighth in the NBA in steals per game last year. Although the Pelicans' roster is largely unchanged going into 2023-24, the potential for Zion Williamson to start the year healthy and the emergence of Trey Murphy could push Jones out of his starting job. That said, Murphy's off-season knee injury could open minutes for Jones. The forward started in all 66 of his appearances in 2022-23. Overall, Jones is better-suited for eight-category formats in fantasy, though he's mostly a deep-league target.