Isaiah Likely
Likely is the Giants' clear No. 2 pass-catcher behind Malik Nabers, drawing target shares in the high-20s to 30s and red-zone work regardless of who's throwing him the ball. He's survived a QB carousel — Jackson Dart to Cooper Rush to Jameis Winston — and kept piling up targets, making him a volume-driven weekly starter rather than a matchup play.
Establish The Run and Fantasy Life crowned him the No. 1 Week 1 TE off an 8-for-8, two-score debut with Dart, and Yahoo's Harmon and Dynasty Nerds quickly bumped him into top-10/top-8 dynasty tiers. When Dart went down, FantasyPros and The Audible flagged real uncertainty — FantasyPros liked him as a buy-low on volume, while The Audible warned Winston's downfield-first tendencies could choke his short-area role, and FantasyPros briefly dropped him to TE10-11 after a shaky Winston outing before leaning back up. Fantasy Focus and Rotoworld Football Show stayed unwavering, calling him a must-start over Travis Kelce regardless of QB, while dynasty voices split — FantasyPros Dynasty called a Drake London trade lopsided against him, even as Fantasy Football Today said they'd still rather own him than Colston Loveland.
The line: Ignore the QB noise — his target share and red-zone role make him a weekly top-10 TE start, not a streamer.
▶ FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast: Tied to Jameis Winston's inconsistency; good raw target volume and a favorable Arizona TE matchup keep him rosterable, but hosts hedge given recent quiet performances. listen ↗
▲ Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry: Keeping it open at TE7 — strong target share in all three games and a favorable matchup vs. a Cardinals defense that's weak against tight ends. listen ↗
▶ FantasyPros Dynasty Football Podcast: Floated as a potential piece (with a second-round pick) in a trade for Colston Loveland; hosts prefer Loveland in that scenario. listen ↗
▶ The Audible: Called a referendum week after one strong game; could stick as a focal point with favorable Arizona matchup for tight ends. listen ↗
▲ The Audible: Devin's favorite GPP tight end; had 10 targets with backup QB Cooper Rush and projects as an under-the-radar target earner. listen ↗
▲ Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry: Had a team-high 33% target share with Winston at QB last week, viewed as a legitimate fantasy piece tied to Winston's usage. listen ↗
▲ Fantasy Focus Football: Third among TEs in targets and catches with 18 targets through two weeks; hosts say he can't be benched regardless of QB change. listen ↗
▶ FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast: Dropped to TE10-11 in rankings partly due to Jameis Winston's shaky Monday performance, but hosts lean toward moving him back up given his 10-target volume and favorable Titans matchup. listen ↗
▲ The Audible: Seen as a buy target who could realistically catch around 100 passes given his role and accuracy in the passing game. listen ↗
▲ Fantasy Focus Football: Getting heavy volume (9 targets in one game) and top-3 in fantasy points/catches/targets among tight ends; hosts view him as a weekly top-10 TE regardless of QB change. listen ↗
▲ FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast: Was the team's target leader before Jackson Dart's injury; hosts view him as a buy-low given continued involvement expected. listen ↗
▼ The Audible: Winston's preference for deep/intermediate throws over short stuff doesn't help him much. listen ↗
▲ Fantasy Focus Football: Drew 10 targets and is a must-start for target volume even in down games, especially with Jameis Winston at QB. listen ↗
▲ Fantasy Football Today: Coming off a strong week with 10-11 targets, hosts still view him as a top-6/8 dynasty tight end and would rather have him than Colston Loveland right now given Chicago's QB situation. listen ↗
▶ FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast: Mentioned as a tight end who could rank above Loveland in some rest-of-season tiers. listen ↗
▲ Rotoworld Football Show – Fantasy Football: Led the team with 9 targets (30% target share) against the Rams, suggesting he should stay in lineups over Travis Kelce this week. listen ↗
▶ FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast: Debated as a flex option due to his touchdown upside, but hosts still lean toward Loveland. listen ↗
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