Who Should I Start? Darnell Washington or Isaiah Likely


Week 1 Projections

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0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Darnell Washington News

Darnell Washington Off Many Fantasy Radars for 2026

Wednesday, February 25, 10:56 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington (forearm) ended the 2025 season with surgery on his broken forearm, but he is looking to bounce back in the final year of his contract in 2026. Despite some highlight reel stiff arms and one TE8 finish in Week 11, Washington mainly played behind fellow tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith. The Steelers are expected to move on from Smith during free agency, which is likely to benefit Washington. Despite Washington's size, he was on the field for more than just run blocking, boasting a 40% route run participation rate and hauled in 31 of his 43 targets for 364 yards and a touchdown in 2025. However, the 24-year-old out of Georgia primarily holds value only in deep dynasty leagues with tight end premium scoring due to his position behind Freiermuth on the depth chart.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Isaiah Likely News

Giants Signing Isaiah Likely to Three-Year Deal

Monday, March 9, 9:17 AM

The New York Giants are signing former Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely to a three-year, $40 million deal on Monday with a maximum value of $47.5 million, multiple sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. The deal makes Likely the third-highest paid tight end in the NFL and will pair him with young quarterback Jaxson Dart and receiver Malik Nabers. The 25-year-old will finally get out of the shadow of veteran Mark Andrews in Baltimore. The move to the Big Apple will make Likely a popular sleeper pick in 2026 fantasy football drafts with clear TE1 upside, although the Giants still have a very capable pass-catching TE in Theo Johnson. The money the Giants are giving Likely suggests he'll be the primary TE1 in New York next year, giving him the most fantasy upside he's had yet in his career. A foot injury caused Likely to get a late start in 2025, and he never recovered, finishing with a career-low 307 yards and only one touchdown on 27 catches through 14 games.


Darnell Washington vs. Isaiah Likely

Still trying to decide between Washington and Likely? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Darnell Washington is projected to score 0.0 points this week while Isaiah Likely is projected to score 0.0 points.