Herbert Jones

Widely considered one of the best defenders in the NBA, Jones does more than regularly lock down elite offensive weapons. The fourth-year winger started in each of his 76 regular-season appearances in 2023-24 and delivered the best season of his young career, putting up personal bests in points (11.0), assists (2.6) and threes made (1.5) per game while also shooting the ball exceptionally well. To note, his efficiency of 49.8 percent from the field, 41.8 percent from deep and 86.7 percent from the charity stripe was a personal best in each category. The main knock regarding Jones' fantasy value is not tied to his production on the court but to the minutes he might see, as he's likely to move to the bench in 2024-25. Adding Dejounte Murray suggests CJ McCollum will play at shooting guard, and with the duo of Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson entrenched at the three and four, Jones will have to settle for a sixth-man role. He's still worth targeting in most formats due to his versatility and the fact he's likely to see around 30 minutes per night, but fantasy managers should also expect some kind of regression in his numbers. As long as he remains an impactful player on defense who can shoot the three at an above-average level, Jones should continue to handle enough minutes to remain relevant across all fantasy formats.

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.

Despite a slow start to his rookie season, Jones ended as a must-roster player across all category leagues come April, thanks mainly to his productivity in the steals department. Playing in 78 of a possible 82 games, Jones compiled averages of 9.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks in just under 30 minutes per game. His durability saw him end the campaign as a top-40 talent in total value -- an outcome that no one could have seen coming. The Pelicans have once again upgraded their roster, and while there will be more competition for minutes, Jones has established himself as an essential part of the rotation. His lack of peripheral contributions limits his overall upside, but he has a genuine chance of putting together another top-100 season despite the Pelicans' depth.

Jones was selected by the Pelicans with the 35th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Jones is a great all-around player who built a reputation as a strong defender at Alabama. In his senior collegiate season, the 22-year-old averaged 11.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks in 27.3 minutes. The 6-foot-8 forward could play a depth role for a Pelicans team that will have significant roster turnover in 2021-22.