TE · NYG · GWTTKB

Isaiah Likely — fantasy football 2026

Every game, every stat category, and what the board says. 5.14 points per game in 2025, an ADP of 113.4, usage worth 5.5.

26 years old · 4 seasons of experience · 2022 draft class

Updated 2026-08-16 · free, no account, no paywall
Every figure below comes from our database. Where a stat is not held, the row is absent rather than zero.
ADP 113.4
Consensus across 4 books, standard deviation 13.4, 31.9 picks between cheapest and priciest. Cheapest on espn, priciest on cbs.
SLEEPER116.5
ESPN130.1
YAHOO108.7
UNDERDOG125.7
CBS98.2
FFA114

Draft-room facts

Goes aroundRound 10, pick 5 in a 12-team draft
Positional rankTE13
Bye week8
ADP standard deviation13.4 picks

What we project for 2026

Our board has him at 137.3 points, 9 per game — 53.3 catches, 618 yards, 3.7 TDs. That is TE4, 115 overall.

The range runs from a floor of 6.3 points per game to a ceiling of 14.2, with the median at 9. Boom rate 58%, bust rate 30%. The spread is the actual bet, not the middle number.

He goes at 113.4 on consensus and our board has him 115. Those agree, so there is no market disagreement to exploit. The question is whether you want the profile, not whether it is mispriced.

Our written view

signed a real, meaningfully guaranteed contract with a new team specifically as a receiving-focused player (not a blocking specialist — the contract size itself signals that), landing in an offense with a genuinely uncertain recovery timeline for its presumptive #1 receiving weapon. A real, non-hypothetical path to being the clear top target on his team for a meaningful chunk of the season, not just a theoretical one.

watch · medium conviction · 2026-08

The offense he plays in, 2026

New York Giants returns 2 of 6 continuity slots, replacing qb1, te1, hc, oc. Jaxson Dart at quarterback, Jim Harbaugh as head coach, Matt Nagy calling it. The offense projects to 30.3 pass attempts a game at low confidence and 27.7 rushes.

In: Darnell Mooney (wr2), Malachi Fields (wr4), Calvin Austin III (wr5), Isaiah Likely (te1). Out: Jaxon Dart (qb), Russell Wilson (qb), Wan'Dale Robinson (wr2), Gunner Olszewski (wr4), Daniel Bellinger (te2).

His own projected target share for 2026 is 6%, with a bear case of 4.7% and a bull case of 8.2% and a full range of 3.3% to 8.8%. That comes from 25 historical comparables, not from a depth chart.

The projected target split across the offense:

Malik Nabers25.9%
Darius Slayton11.2%
Darnell Mooney10.4%
Malachi Fields8.6%
Theo Johnson8.2%
Cam Skattebo7.5%

Our written view on this offense in 2026

What the offense looks like: NY still reamins a question mark but there is a lot of potential in this offense if Jaxson Dart turns into the franchise QB. He has a strong arm, is mobile, and plays with a certain type of swagger not all QBs play with. Despite what Ravens fans say, bringing Harbaugh & Nagy into NY is a very good thing. A future HOF coach that is putting his reputation on the line for this team to succeed. Harbaugh has mainly focused on the defense so far, which could imply he thinks the offense is in a good spot, but we will have to see.

Key additions: Darnell Mooney WR from ATL, Calvin Austin III WR from Steelers, Drafted WR Malachi Fields 3rd round, signed TE Isaiah Likely in free agency, New Coach Jim Harbaugh & new OC Matt Nagy.

Key departures: Russell Wilson left to free agency. Won'Dale Robinson left in free agency to the Tennessee Titans (opens up significant amount of targets)

Notes: Giants fired Daboll & brought in Harbaugh. Harbaugh should revamp offense. Brought it Isaiah Likely from Baltimore who seriously hurts Theo Johnson dynasty value (likely should be good). NY did not draft RB & Skattebo will be the starter week 1 of 2026 unless they add someone. He could have a monster season with his Jaxson Dart connection growing. Jaxson Dart gets to play with Malik Nabers for the first time & connection should be electric. Darnell Mooney is a great signing & is on a 1 year prove it deal in NY. If Dart play continues, Mooney will have value.

How the volume number was reached: New QB Jaxson Dart, avg 24.2 att/g over 2025; Regressed 65% toward league mean 33.5, floored at 30 → 30.2 att/g; New OC Matt Nagy — pass rate and tempo may shift; New HC Jim Harbaugh.

How that share projection was built

25 historical comps for TEs age ~25, prior share 13.1%, team change, OC change, QB change. Distribution: median 8.1%, p25-p75 [3.8%, 13.2%], tails [0.0%, 14.9%]. Closest comps: Dan Arnold 2021→2022 (CAR→JAX: 12.8%→3.8%); Christopher Herndon 2020→2021 (NYJ→MIN: 13.8%→3.7%); Foster Moreau 2022→2023 (LV→NO: 11.0%→6.8%). Adjustment: -10% from real_decline (production + skill both fell)

arrival self-anchored 41% to own 13.1% role (3yr)

The named comps are the closest historical matches and the arrow is what their share actually did the following season. That is the working, not a summary of it — if you disagree with the projection, this is the part to argue with.

Offensive environment: NYG rates 21.8 against a league average of 23, 1.1 below it on opponent-adjusted least squares (multi-capture merge).

2026 schedule

Opponent-adjusted pass defense faced, against 2025 ratings. Positive is an easier slate.

Full season+4.4 · easier
Weeks 1–6+8.3 · easier
Weeks 12–17+5.7 · easier
Fantasy playoffs (15–17)+7.9 · easier

Read this narrowly. Our own testing found that season-long strength of schedule does not survive as a draft input — defensive quality is among the least stable team properties year to year, and a preseason slate is built on last year's identities. The playoff-weeks column is the only one we would let break a tie, and even then it is a tiebreaker rather than a reason. The finding.

What happened when he missed time

From the absence record rather than a depth chart — who actually gained when he was out.

SeasonGames missedMain beneficiaryTheir PPR gain
20253Mark Andrews+2.7
Read the full Isaiah Likely study →

Dynasty context not redraft

Everything in this section is about his dynasty trade value — what he is worth as a long-term asset in the trade market. It is not a forecast of his 2026 fantasy scoring. A player can be a fine redraft pick while his dynasty value falls, and the reverse. The redraft read is above; this is a different question with a different answer.

Where he sits in the dynasty value cycle

His dynasty value has moved +17.6% over the last twelve months. The market cycle classifies him as stable.

For context on how long this lasts at the position: the average career at his position produces 1.3 elite seasons and 2.3 startable seasons.

The five most similar seasons, and what their dynasty value did next

Matched on production profile — production-driven (pedigree ignored). The last column is how that player’s dynasty value moved the following year — a market outcome, not a scoring one.

PlayerSeasonTheir PPGSimilarityNext year
Juwan Johnson20237.577%-4.4%
Chigoziem Okonkwo20247.176%+2.4%
Colby Parkinson20244.175%+69%
Donald Parham20235.773%-79.4%
Harrison Bryant20224.472%-1.9%

Of the 5 with a following season on record, 2 gained value, 2 lost it and 1 held roughly flat.

Four years of dynasty value

02,0004,0002023202420252026
Monthly superflex value, 2022-03 to 2026-07. Up 378% across the series, peaking at 3,872.

The player

Draft capital and athletic profile

Drafted2022, round 4, pick 139 by BAL
CollegeCoastal Carolina
Age at draft22
Height6′5″
Weight245 lb
Vertical36″
Shuttle4.57s

Availability and volatility

Career PPR per game7.5
Week-to-week variation0.8
Boom rate25.6%
Bust rate25.6%
Games missed per season1
Injury historyHamstring, Foot
Correlation between his posted line and his actual score-0.25

That correlation is how closely the books’ posted line tracked what he actually scored, week to week. A higher number means the market has him figured out and there is less to exploit; a lower one means his weeks are harder to price.

Injury type matters more than games missed. Measured across our injury database, knee and foot returns stay below a player’s pre-injury baseline for all three of the first games back, while hamstring returns over-recover by the third.

The record, season by season

2025 · BAL · 12 games

His best game was Week 13 against CIN — 12.5 PPR on 6 targets and a 20% target share, in a game that finished 14-32. His worst was Week 16 against NE at 0, on 0 targets, final score 24-28. Across 12 games he cleared 20 points 0 times and came in under 8 points 9 times. In the 5 games decided by 8 points or fewer he averaged 5; in the 7 decided by more, 5.3. He scored more when the game was not close.

Earned against scored

His usage that season was worth 5.5 points per game. He scored 5.14, 5.7% below it. The engine classified the season as neutral.

WkOppScorePPRRecTgtYdsTDTgt%Snap%
5HOU10-442.2111205%53%
6LA3-172.622606.3%81%
8CHI30-162.822809.1%58%
9MIA28-693460017.4%59%
10MIN27-193.72417014.3%56%
11CLE23-163.52315012%52%
12NYJ23-1021310015%57%
13CIN14-3212.55695020%52%
14PIT22-2712.54625118.2%60%
16NE24-28000000%40%
17GB41-245.73327015%70%
18PIT24-265.22232011.8%49%

Production

Receptions27
Targets36
Receiving yards307
Touchdowns1
Points per game5.14
Yards per target8.53
Catch rate75%

Role

Snap share57.25%
Target share12.01%
Air-yards share12.01%
WOPR0.264
RACR1.083

Efficiency

Average depth of target8
Yards after catch per reception4.3
Yards before catch per reception7
Total YAC117
Broken tackles1
Drop rate0%
Passer rating when targeted109.4
Receiving EPA per game0.45

Scoring position

Red-zone targets6
Red-zone target share11.1%
End-zone target share10.7%
Expected receiving TDs1.61
Actual receiving TDs1
Receiving TD luck-0.61

Who else ate

The offense threw it 422 times. He took 8.85% of the targets. 2 team-mates cleared the competing-target threshold.

Zay Flowers28.99%
Mark Andrews17.2%
DeAndre Hopkins9.58%
Rashod Bateman9.34%
Isaiah Likely 8.85%
Justice Hill6.63%

By quarterback

He caught passes from 3 quarterbacks that season, and the splits are not close.

QBGamesTargetsPPGY/TTgt%
Lamar Jackson8286.059.0713.59%
Cooper Rush232.465.65%
Tyler Huntley254.25712.05%

Blowouts against close games

4 of his 12 games were blowouts, 47.7% of his snaps coming in them. He averaged 7.35 in those and 4.98 in close games — a meaningful share of his scoring came with the game already decided.

2024 · BAL · 15 games

His best game was Week 1 against KC — 26.1 PPR on 12 targets and a 30% target share, in a game that finished 20-27. His worst was Week 9 against DEN at 0, on 1 targets, final score 41-10. Across 15 games he cleared 20 points 1 time and came in under 8 points 9 times. In the 8 games decided by 8 points or fewer he averaged 10.8; in the 7 decided by more, 5.4. He scored more when the game was live.

Earned against scored

His usage that season was worth 7 points per game. He scored 8.25, 25.9% above it. The engine classified the season as very_lucky. On receiving touchdowns specifically he finished 5 against 3.57 expected, a gap of 1.4.

WkOppScorePPRRecTgtYdsTDTgt%Snap%
1KC20-2726.1912111130%66%
2LV23-264.6232609.7%49%
3DAL28-251.411406.7%62%
4BUF35-103.61226011.1%54%
5CIN41-3816.3331327.3%71%
6WAS30-234.72427016%68%
7TB41-313.72417019%59%
8CLE24-298.74447011.4%69%
9DEN41-10001005.3%30%
11PIT16-189.54575016.1%49%
13PHI19-2414.85838122.9%50%
15NYG35-143.7221708.3%66%
16PIT34-1711.93329113%66%
17HOU31-27.911916.3%76%
18CLE35-106.83538016.7%61%

Production

Receptions42
Targets58
Receiving yards477
Touchdowns6
Points per game8.25
Yards per target8.22
Catch rate72.41%

Role

Snap share59.73%
Target share13.32%
Air-yards share12.93%
WOPR0.291
RACR4.187

Efficiency

Average depth of target8
Yards after catch per reception6.1
Yards before catch per reception5.3
Total YAC256
Broken tackles3
Drop rate0%
Passer rating when targeted131.2
Receiving EPA per game1.85

Scoring position

Red-zone targets13
Red-zone target share19.1%
End-zone target share25.7%
Expected receiving TDs3.57
Actual receiving TDs5
Receiving TD luck1.43

Who else ate

The offense threw it 477 times. He took 12.69% of the targets. 3 team-mates cleared the competing-target threshold.

Zay Flowers25.38%
Rashod Bateman15.75%
Mark Andrews15.1%
Isaiah Likely 12.69%
Justice Hill11.16%
Nelson Agholor6.35%

Blowouts against close games

6 of his 15 games were blowouts, 27.4% of his snaps coming in them. He averaged 5.65 in those and 10.76 in close games — his scoring did not depend on garbage time.

2023 · BAL · 14 games

His best game was Week 14 against LA — 19.3 PPR on 7 targets and a 17.5% target share, in a game that finished 37-31. His worst was Week 11 against CIN at 0, on 2 targets, final score 34-20. Across 14 games he cleared 20 points 0 times and came in under 8 points 7 times. In the 6 games decided by 8 points or fewer he averaged 6.5; in the 8 decided by more, 7.8. He scored more when the game was not close.

Earned against scored

His usage that season was worth 5.3 points per game. He scored 7.22, 45.9% above it. The engine classified the season as very_lucky. On receiving touchdowns specifically he finished 3 against 1.65 expected, a gap of 1.4.

WkOppScorePPRRecTgtYdsTDTgt%Snap%
1HOU25-91.411404.8%72%
2CIN27-241.811803%33%
3IND19-223122006.7%26%
4CLE28-3000000%26%
8ARI31-242111003.8%11%
9SEA37-38.24442012.5%25%
10CLE31-331.511504.3%7%
11CIN34-20002008.7%76%
12LAC20-1084640020%73%
14LA37-3119.35783117.5%79%
15JAX23-7185670126.1%74%
16SF33-198.63456011.8%74%
17MIA56-1918.22342213.6%63%
18PIT10-1711.1223117.7%33%

Production

Receptions30
Targets40
Receiving yards411
Touchdowns5
Points per game7.22
Yards per target10.28
Catch rate75%

Role

Snap share48%
Target share10.04%
Air-yards share7.97%
WOPR0.206
RACR2.541

Efficiency

Average depth of target6.2
Yards after catch per reception7.2
Yards before catch per reception6.5
Total YAC216
Broken tackles6
Drop rate0.1%
Passer rating when targeted147
Receiving EPA per game2.3

Scoring position

Red-zone targets9
Red-zone target share12.5%
End-zone target share10%
Expected receiving TDs1.65
Actual receiving TDs3
Receiving TD luck1.35

Who else ate

The offense threw it 494 times. He took 8.4% of the targets. 1 team-mate cleared the competing-target threshold.

Zay Flowers22.69%
Odell Beckham13.45%
Mark Andrews12.82%
Rashod Bateman11.76%
Nelson Agholor9.45%
Isaiah Likely 8.4%

By quarterback

He caught passes from 2 quarterbacks that season, and the splits are not close.

QBGamesTargetsPPGY/TTgt%
Lamar Jackson13386.921010.22%
Tyler Huntley1211.115.57.7%

Blowouts against close games

3 of his 14 games were blowouts, 26.1% of his snaps coming in them. He averaged 8.8 in those and 6.45 in close games — a meaningful share of his scoring came with the game already decided.

2022 · BAL · 14 games

His best game was Week 8 against TB — 19.7 PPR on 7 targets and a 20.6% target share, in a game that finished 27-22. His worst was Week 1 against NYJ at 0, on 4 targets, final score 24-9. Across 14 games he cleared 20 points 0 times and came in under 8 points 9 times. In the 8 games decided by 8 points or fewer he averaged 7.1; in the 6 decided by more, 5.7. He scored more when the game was live.

Earned against scored

His usage that season was worth 7.5 points per game. He scored 6.52, 13% below it. The engine classified the season as unlucky.

WkOppScorePPRRecTgtYdsTDTgt%Snap%
1NYJ24-90040013.8%45%
2MIA38-428.34543017.2%36%
3NE37-261.812807.4%33%
5CIN19-172.722707.4%23%
6NYG20-2452430012.5%22%
7CLE23-202.6111606.3%11%
8TB27-2219.76777120.6%67%
9NO27-139.41524122.7%76%
11CAR13-31.113109.4%32%
13DEN10-974430011.1%26%
15CLE3-133.82318010.7%44%
16ATL17-91.4124012.5%25%
17PIT13-1610.23512125%33%
18CIN16-2718.3813103031%88%

Production

Receptions36
Targets60
Receiving yards373
Touchdowns3
Points per game6.52
Yards per target6.22
Catch rate60%

Role

Snap share40.07%
Target share14.83%
Air-yards share11.84%
WOPR0.305
RACR0.784

Efficiency

Average depth of target6.8
Yards after catch per reception4.2
Yards before catch per reception6.2
Total YAC151
Broken tackles5
Drop rate0.1%
Passer rating when targeted87.7
Receiving EPA per game-0.38

Scoring position

Red-zone targets11
Red-zone target share13.9%
End-zone target share15.6%
Expected receiving TDs2.75
Actual receiving TDs2
Receiving TD luck-0.75

Who else ate

The offense threw it 488 times. He took 12.9% of the targets. 2 team-mates cleared the competing-target threshold.

Mark Andrews24.3%
Demarcus Robinson16.13%
Isaiah Likely 12.9%
Devin Duvernay10.54%
Rashod Bateman6.02%
Kenyan Drake5.59%

By quarterback

He caught passes from 3 quarterbacks that season, and the splits are not close.

QBGamesTargetsPPGY/TTgt%
Lamar Jackson9335.626.2413.03%
Tyler Huntley4145.64.5714.82%
Anthony Brown11318.37.9231%
Ask the Coach about Isaiah Likely →
All player profiles · 2026 rankings · Research findings · Methodology
GWTTKB publishes research and education. Nothing here is betting advice.