Who Should I Start? Hunter Henry or Isaiah Likely

Thursday, November 20, 12:45 AM

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry has momentum on his side ahead of Sunday's favorable matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 12. Henry bounced back from a Week 10 dud by catching four of his six targets for 45 yards in Week 11. He is one of Drake Maye's favorite targets, establishing himself as a fringe top-12 tight end in fantasy football. Henry is an intriguing option in the Patriots' offense, but his ceiling has arguably never been higher than it is this week against the Bengals. Cincinnati has the league's worst defense against tight ends, and it's not particularly close. They have allowed the most receiving yards, the most touchdowns, and the most fantasy points to tight ends in 2025. The gap in fantasy points allowed by the Bengals and the second-worst defense against tight ends is actually greater than the gap between the second-worst defense and the league median. Meanwhile, Cincy's 12 touchdowns allowed to tight ends are five more than the next-highest. Time and time again, tight ends have feasted against the Bengals. Now, it's Henry's turn. He ranks as a mid-to-high TE1 with an extremely favorable matchup on tap.

Thursday, November 20, 4:17 PM

Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (calf) returned to practice on Thursday after being held out on Wednesday due to a calf issue, per Brian Wacker of The Baltimore Sun. It's unclear whether Likely practiced in full or in a limited capacity, but either way, his return to the field is a positive sign for his chances of playing in Week 12 against the New York Jets. Across seven games this season, the 25-year-old has hauled in 12 catches for 118 yards on 16 targets. Baltimore's crowded tight end room limits Likely's upside, as all three of Likely, Mark Andrews, and Charlie Kolar played at least 19 offensive snaps in Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns. As long as all three of the Ravens' tight ends are active, Andrews is the only one who warrants low-end fantasy starter consideration.