Isaiah Likely

Jaxson Dart enters only his second NFL season as the Giants' presumed starter with a limited track record (4-8, 15 TDs in 12 starts). If Dart regresses or the NYG passing attack stagnates, even an elite usage design centered on Likely will fail to produce top-tier fantasy numbers.

Likely is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and it is unclear whether Baltimore will make an effort to resign him, creating acute departure risk.

Likely posted career lows across the board and missed three games, suffering a foot injury in camp that required surgery. In 12 contests, Likely caught 22 of 31 targets for 248 yards and one touchdown, a major disappointment vs. his 2024 career year.

Likely is an unrestricted free agent this offseason and the Ravens extended Mark Andrews to a 3-year, $39.3M deal in December, signaling Andrews is the priority. Multiple sources project Likely will depart Baltimore for a starting role elsewhere.

Likely suffered a foot injury requiring surgery in training camp, missed 3 games, and posted career lows across the board with just 22 catches for 248 yards and 1 TD on 31 targets in 12 games. This tanked his market value heading into free agency.

Andrews agreed to a three-year extension worth $39.3 million with $26 million guaranteed, locking him through 2028. Andrews had a disappointing 2025 campaign, and the two tight ends capped each other's potential, suggesting if Likely remains, shared volume model could improve.

Likely exits Baltimore's entrenched TE timeshare and steps into a clear TE1 role for the first time in his career — signed to a 3-year, $40-47M deal as the Giants' marquee offseason acquisition with the explicit intent to build the offense around him.

OC Matt Nagy has explicitly blueprinted Likely's deployment after Travis Kelce's Kansas City role — full formation movement, pre-snap motion, and scheme-engineered mismatches. This is the highest-ceiling usage model available in dynasty for a TE.

Harbaugh has publicly designated Likely as the 'receiver TE' in a complementary two-TE system with Theo Johnson as the blocker — not a competing timeshare. This framing strongly suggests Likely routes the passing-game role and Johnson handles the run-support work.

John Harbaugh stated he is 'certain' Likely will break out in 2026, calling him key to Jaxson Dart's success. A HC who built his offense around TEs in Baltimore, personally recruiting Likely, is a uniquely bullish overlay rarely seen in dynasty TE situations.

John Harbaugh left Baltimore to become the Giants' HC and personally targeted Likely on a 3yr/$40M ($47M upside) deal, publicly saying he's 'certain' Likely breaks out. Scheme familiarity plus a franchise-level financial commitment is the strongest possible signal of intended role.