Isaiah Likely Fantasy Football Stock With New York Giants: Could He Be No. 2 Target behind Malik Nabers?
Matt LaMarca analyzed Isaiah Likely signing with the New York Giants, and whether he is a fantasy football asset behind top target Malik Nabers.
The Giants have been linked to a number of high-profile players in free agency, but not every swing can be for the fences. Sometimes, you have to settle for hitting a single.
The team has reportedly made its first foray into the free agent market by agreeing to terms with former Ravens TE Isaiah Likely. According to Ian Rapaport and Tom Pelissero, Likely was garnering interest from plenty of teams, and it will be interesting to see what the tight end can do outside of Baltimore.
Isaiah Likely Signs With New York Giants: Fantasy Football Fallout
Likely has made an impact in previous years, despite playing primarily on a part-time basis. He suited up alongside Mark Andrews in each of his first four professional seasons, and he never saw more than 60 targets in a year. He was limited to just a 58% route participation in 2025, and he finished with an 11% target share in his 14 contests.
Likely will have the opportunity to earn a bigger role with his new team, but it’s far from a guarantee. He’ll have to compete with Theo Johnson at tight end for the Giants, who had a bit of a breakout in his second professional season. He finished with 45 catches for 528 yards and 5 touchdowns, and he displayed excellent chemistry with Jaxson Dart under center. From Week 4 on, Johnson racked up a 79% route share and 19% target share, which was second only to Wan’Dale Robinson in the team’s pecking order.
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It’s possible that the Giants utilize more two-TE looks to accommodate both players. While Malik Nabers is expected to return from injury, Robinson is rumored to be signing elsewhere (the Titans have emerged as early favorites). That doesn’t leave a ton of bodies for the Giants at receiver. Even if the team looks at the position early in the 2026 NFL Draft, it would still leave plenty of opportunities for both tight ends to potentially see the field.
However, the quality of targets that Likely will be earning won’t be as high as they were in Baltimore. While Dart had an excellent rookie season for fantasy purposes, most of his value came from his legs. He still has plenty of work to do as a passer, averaging just 6.92 adjusted yards per attempt. Quarterbacks tend to make big leaps in their second seasons, but it still feels like a stretch to say that he’ll be anywhere nearly as good as Lamar Jackson has been throughout Likely’s career.
Add it all up, and this feels like a lateral move for fantasy purposes. Even if he’s able to beat out Johnson for the starting job, Nabers has commanded a target share of 35+% ever since stepping on a field in the NFL. The Giants’ offense will also struggle to match the Ravens’ from an efficiency standpoint, meaning Likely shouldn’t have as many scoring opportunities. Ultimately, it’s hard to see him emerging from the TE2 ranks that have plagued him throughout most of his career.
More NFL Free Agency Updates For Fantasy Football
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- Michael Pittman Fantasy Outlook with Steelers
- Malik Willis Fantasy Outlook with Dolphins
- Kenneth Walker Fantasy Outlook with Chiefs
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