Who Should I Start? Cade Otton or Isaiah Likely

Monday, February 16, 6:21 AM

Across 16 games in 2025, Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton recorded 59 receptions for 572 yards and one touchdown on 81 targets. Despite injuries in Tampa Bay to key pass-catchers like wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin Jr. that sidelined them for large chunks of the season, Otton never fully emerged as a go-to target for Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. Across four NFL seasons, Otton has never recorded more than 59 catches, 600 receiving yards, or four touchdowns in a single year. Heading into his age-27 season, Otton is now set to hit unrestricted free agency. If he leaves Tampa Bay, Otton could benefit by landing in a situation with less competition for targets. However, based on his track record to this point, there's no guarantee that a new team would sign Otton to be its unencumbered number one receiving tight end, which is the role he's held over the last two seasons in Tampa Bay. Whether he's back with the Buccaneers or not, Otton appears to have a defined production ceiling that limits his fantasy appeal in dynasty formats going forward.

Tuesday, February 17, 11:38 AM

The Baltimore Ravens haven't made progress in their efforts to sign impending free-agent tight end Isaiah Likely to a contract extension, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Meanwhile, fellow TE Mark Andrews signed a four-year, $56 million contract with the team in September of 2021. Zrebiec writes that it will be very tough for the Ravens to have two guys making top-eight TE money with all their other needs. The 25-year-old Likely had a disappointing fourth year in the NFL in 2025, catching 27 of his 36 targets for a career-low 307 yards and only one touchdown in 14 games. He never really got on track after injuring his foot in training camp last summer. The good news for him is that his disappointing campaign is unlikely to impact his market in free agency this offseason. Likely is versatile and can be a significant weapon in the passing game, but he hasn't been able to stand out in fantasy in Baltimore with Andrews also involved. A change of scenery could be what Likely needs to take the next step.