After the Jacksonville Jaguars invested the No. 23 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to select LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr., Zay Jones was consequently released from the team and went on multiple visits before landing with the Arizona Cardinals.
What can fantasy football managers expect from Jones after joining forces with Kyler Murray heading into the 2024 NFL season?
Zay Jones Is Expected To Sign With the Arizona Cardinals
Jones didn’t stay on the open market for very long after the Jags decided to part ways with the veteran wide receiver following the 2024 NFL Draft.
Jones took meetings with the Tennessee Titans, Dallas Cowboys, and Kansas City Chiefs before ultimately deciding to take his talents to the Cardinals.
Free agent WR Zay Jones is signing with the #AZCardinals, per me and @TomPelissero. Another veteran option for Arizona, as Jones — who also visited the #Titans and #Cowboys — lands. pic.twitter.com/2CZS2Qb9uO
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 10, 2024
Per this report from Ian Rapoport (who mentioned Tom Pelissero), Jones is signing with the Cardinals. This will mark the fourth different team Jones has played with over his NFL career, following previous stints with the Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, and Las Vegas Raiders.
Jones’ 2024 Fantasy Outlook
The change of scenery may actually be beneficial for Jones’ fantasy value heading into the 2024 NFL season, considering Jacksonville’s collection of pass catchers was starting to get pretty crowded with the arrival of the aforementioned Thomas and Gabe Davis this offseason.
Despite a slow start to his career during his time in Buffalo and Las Vegas, Jones actually produced a career year with the Jaguars in 2022 with 82 receptions for 823 yards and five scores on 121 targets to help him finish as the WR26 during his first season in Jacksonville.
Unfortunately, he followed up his most productive campaign with an injury-riddled 2023 season where he finished with just 34 receptions for 321 yards and two scores in nine games. His WR84 fantasy finish and a contract that was set to expire at the end of this season made him expendable.
His new team has been desperate to add perimeter playmakers this entire offseason once they let Marquise Brown test free agency after two disappointing years with the team. Heading into the 2024 NFL Draft, the team had just Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch as projected starters on the receiver depth chart.
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That has changed drastically after the team used the No. 4 overall pick on outstanding WR prospect Marvin Harrison Jr. out of Ohio State in the 2024 NFL Draft. The former Buckeye is widely regarded as one of the best receiver prospects to enter the league since Ja’Marr Chase and is still a strong candidate to lead the team in targets this season.
Another player Jones will be competing for looks with in the passing game is TE Trey McBride, who was outstanding last year with 81 receptions for 825 yards and three scores despite the moving pieces under center for the Cardinals in 2023.
Jones could push for somewhere around 100 targets this year if he firmly establishes himself as the third option behind Harrison and McBride. Yet, it’s not a foregone conclusion he will see more work than Wilson or Dortch if either player showcases outstanding improvement from last year.
Since Jones is reportedly signing a one-year deal with the Cardinals, he doesn’t exactly hold a ton of long-term dynasty value in Arizona at this time. Yet, his landing spot does give Jones’ shareholders an opportunity to potentially trade him for late-round picks in their upcoming dynasty rookie drafts.
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Expect Jones to be somewhere in the range of WR4 or WR5 for your fantasy team in 2024.
