Who Should I Start? Albert Okwuegbunam or Isaiah Likely

Saturday, October 4, 8:41 PM

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Albert Okwuegbunam was elevated from the practice squad ahead of Sunday's meeting with the Colts. Michael Mayer (concussion) has already been ruled out, marking his second-straight absence. In addition, Brock Bowers (knee) is "trending toward not playing." If Bowers ends up missing the Week 4 matchup versus Indianapolis, Ian Thomas and Okwuegbunam could see extra looks from Geno Smith. However, neither player can be trusted from a fantasy standpoint, so managers should look in another direction for Bowers' replacement. The same can be said for rookie Carter Runyon, who hasn't done much this season.

Tuesday, December 2, 11:59 AM

Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely posted his most productive performance of the season in Week 13, recording five catches for 95 yards on six targets against the Cincinnati Bengals. However, the 25-year-old was also responsible for one of the turning points in the game when he coughed up a fumble as he was crossing the goal line, turning a touchdown into a touchback. Still, Likely's increased involvement is a positive sign for fantasy managers. Although he's failed to find the end zone so far this season, Likely recorded six touchdowns on 58 targets across 16 games in 2024 and has shown stretches of red zone chemistry with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson throughout his career. The presence of tight ends Mark Andrews and Charlie Kolar in Baltimore limits Likely's upside, as he's played fewer than 60% of the team's offensive snaps in six straight games heading into his Week 14 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, in deep fantasy leagues, Likely may be worth stashing off the waiver wire in case an injury to Andrews opens up a significant playing time opportunity in Baltimore.