Seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones signed with the Buccaneers on Monday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The longtime Falcon — who spent last season in Tennessee — will now catch passes from Tom Brady, inevitably shaking up the 2022 fantasy WR rankings.
Is Jones a legit undervalued "sleeper," or is he just a big-name trap that's not worth the headache? We break down what this signing means for fantasy owners and other Bucs pass-catchers.
2022 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Top 200 | Superflex
Julio Jones' fantasy outlook after signing with Buccaneers
Obviously, the most important factor to consider is how this move impacts Jones' fantasy value. The short answer is that it greatly improves it.
Tom Brady's Tampa offenses have yielded a high-volume, high-efficiency passing game. The seven-time Super Bowl-champion typically makes everyone around him better as long as they're willing to put in the work.
2022 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Top 200 | Superflex
If Jones can stay on the field, he automatically launches into the territory of top-40 wide receivers. Of course, health remains the most paramount wild card — he has played just 19 of 33 games over the past two seasons. When he did suit up, he was decent. Jones caught 70.6-percent of his combined targets in '20 and '21 and averaged 14.7 yards per catch and 63.4 receiving yards per game, though, to be fair, he was much better in 2020 with Atlanta (85.7 yards per game) than '21 with Tennessee (43.4 yards per game).
2022 FANTASY SLEEPERS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | One from each team
Jones will ultimately assume the Bucs' WR3 role behind the stud duo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, a role vacated last season after the bizarre Antonio Brown departure. Jones might not be as quick or explosive as AB, but his hands, route-running, and body control are just as good, if not better. Former Falcons teammate Mohamed Sanu once cited Jones' combination of size, speed, and stability, saying, "That guy's an alien."
Jones has led the NFL in receiving yards twice and finished No. 1 in receiving yards per game three times. He's also the first player in NFL history to post multiple 150-yard, two-TD games in the postseason.
2022 AUCTION VALUES (Standard & PPR):
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Overall
AB is gone, four-time All-Pro tight end and Brady BFF Rob Gronkowski is retired, and Pro Bowl wideout Godwin is recovering from a January ACL surgery. Those three pass-catchers garnered a total of 278 targets last season from Brady, accounting for 38.6 percent of his NFL-leading 719 passes (second-most all time)
Brady loves himself a strong veteran with a diverse skill set and high IQ. Jones is 33 and just a few seasons removed from "perennial Pro Bowl" status. If he manages to stay healthy throughout the entire season, Jones could be a prime candidate for a return to fantasy greatness. He should be viewed as a fringe Tier-4/Tier-5 receiver, a dependable WR3 or flex who obviously skyrockets in value if he's healthy, and/or Godwin or Evans misses any time.
2022 RANKINGS TIERS & DRAFT STRATEGY:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs
Julio Jones' impact on Tom Brady's fantasy value
Brady absolutely benefits from this move. The G.O.A.T. comes off an age-44 season in which he led the NFL with 485 completions, 719 attempts, 5,316 yards, and 43 touchdowns. With so many of his favorite targets either gone or dinged up, it makes sense to add a once-elite, still-good wideout.
Even if Jones doesn't see anywhere near the volume and usage Brown and Gronkowski combined to see in their Tampa days, he's a clear upgrade over Tyler Johnson, Scotty Miller, and Cyril Grayson Jr. He's also likely an upgrade over Russell Gage, who came to Tampa in the offseason. Jones is a big-body receiver who can win 50/50 balls and run crisp routes, two crucial elements for a Brady receiver.
Brady should also give Jones plenty of looks in the red zone. The Buccaneers recently added former Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph, another good red-zone target. Between those two, Brate, and four-time Pro Bowler Evans, who hauled in 14 receiving touchdowns last season, Brady looks poised to once again make some MVP noise both in real-life and fantasy. The soon-to-be 45-year-old should be viewed as a solid QB1 once again.
Julio Jones' impact on other Buccaneers' WRs
This move should help — not hurt — Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. When you have a future Hall-of-Fame QB who perennially flirts with near-unprecedented passing numbers, you need a lot of receiving options. Tampa has proven year in and year out during Brady's tenure there that it can thrive with four-plus above-average receiving threats running routes simultaneously.
Evans remains one of the toughest covers in the NFL, using his size, speed, and hands to consistently beat even the best corners. Godwin zips around the field and serves as one of the most dominating slot receivers in the game. Rudolph and Cameron Brate, the latter of whom made our TE sleepers list are consistently-dependable end-zone targets.
Gage is the one guy whose value takes a big hit, as many had him tabbed a sleeper WR, at least in PPR leagues. With Jones in town, Gage will likely take a backseat, but he remains someone to watch in case of an injury. He's a dependable route-runner with good hands, and he's had nice stretches in the past with Atlanta.
Once again, the rich get richer. It will be interesting to see the ultimate impact Jones will have on Tampa Bay and whether Brady and the 2021 Super Bowl-champion Bucs can revive the seven-time Pro Bowler's career. If we had to bet, we'd say it's going to work out well fantasy-wise for all parties.