Who Should I Start? Isaiah Likely or AJ Barner

Wednesday, September 2, 8:16 AM

ESPN's Dan Graziano does not think anyone should be surprised if tight end Isaiah Likely is a "breakout star" in his first season with the New York Giants in 2026. Likely followed head coach John Harbaugh from the Baltimore Ravens to the Giants in free agency, and Giants coaches "light up" when talking about Likely. The coaching staff thinks that Likely will "be a real asset" for quarterback Jaxson Dart as a receiver and "think he can win in both man and zone coverage." The Giants love how he has evolved his relationship with Dart, and he is a regular visitor to the QB room. The connection that Likely has formed with Dart on and off the field "could pay major dividends." Graziano thinks that Likely is a strong candidate to be the Giants' second-leading receiver this year, and potentially more if receiver Malik Nabers (knee) needs more time to get up to speed after tearing his ACL and meniscus early last year. The 26-year-old former fourth-rounder from Coastal Carolina never had over 477 receiving yards or six touchdowns in his four years in Baltimore, where he was in the shadow of Mark Andrews. Now that he is the TE1 in the Big Apple, Likely has clear TE1 upside in fantasy, with RotoBaller ranking him as the No. 15 player at the position heading into the new season.