Who Should I Start? Ian Thomas or Isaiah Likely

Tuesday, March 25, 1:32 PM

The Las Vegas Raiders announced on Tuesday that they signed free-agent tight end Ian Thomas (calf) to an undisclosed deal on Tuesday. Thomas will head to the AFC West after spending the first seven years of his NFL career with the Carolina Panthers after they selected him in the fourth round (101st overall) in the 2018 NFL draft out of Indiana. The 28-year-old never really established himself as a fantasy asset in Carolina, with his best season coming in his rookie campaign with a 36-333-2 line on 49 targets in 16 games (six starts). Thomas landed on Injured Reserve in 2024 with a calf injury and only caught three of six targets for seven yards in five games (two starts). He scored four touchdowns in his first three seasons but hasn't found the end zone since. In Vegas, he'll provide TE depth behind Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer and will remain off the fantasy radar.

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.