Who Should I Start? Darren Waller or Isaiah Likely

Friday, October 24, 1:09 PM

Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller's pectoral injury is not season-ending, according to head coach Mike McDaniel. Waller suffered a pectoral injury in the Week 7 loss to the Cleveland Browns and was placed on Injured Reserve on Wednesday, but he should be able to make it back this season. However, the 33-year-old veteran will need to miss at least four games and will not be eligible to return for Miami until Week 13. In the meantime, the team will have to make due with a combination of Julian Hill (ankle), Tanner Conner, and Greg Dulcich at the position in an offense that already lost star receiver Tyreek Hill (knee) for the year. Fantasy managers should be avoiding Miami's TE situation until Waller can return. Waller, who came out of retirement after not playing at all in 2024, got a late start in 2025 due to another injury, but he scored four touchdowns in his first three games before getting injured in Week 7.

Tuesday, October 21, 7:06 PM

Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely has had a forgettable 2025 season through the first seven weeks. He didn't make his season debut until Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs due to a back injury, and in his first game back, he played fewer than 50% of the offensive snaps and wasn't targeted at all. Likely caught his only target for 12 yards in Week 5 and then had two catches for just six yards in the Week 6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. In Weeks 5 and 6, Likely was working with backup quarterback Cooper Rush, with two-time MVP Lamar Jackson sidelined with a hamstring injury. The good news is that Likely played 80.8% of the snaps in Week 6, and he should be fully integrated into the offense coming out of the Ravens' Week 7 bye. The 25-year-old could be a touchdown-dependent TE2 the remainder of the year while splitting work with Mark Andrews, but don't be surprised if he breaks out in Week 8 against the Chicago Bears if Jackson returns under center.