Who Should I Start? Isaiah Likely or AJ Barner

Wednesday, July 30, 10:08 AM

Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (foot) is expected to miss at least six weeks of action to repair a broken bone in his foot. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network noted that while the expectation is that the tight will miss six weeks, there is a belief that he could recover on a faster timeline. While Likely could be in danger of missing the start of the regular season, he has avoided a significant injury. The 25-year-old sustained this injury during Tuesday's practice session. Fantasy managers should continue to keep a close eye on his status in case this injury begins to linger. Last season, Likely enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign, tallying 111 yards in the season opener. However, he would only go on to tally over 70 receiving yards in one game during the remainder of the season. When healthy, Likely will be deployed as the No. 2 tight end in Baltimore behind Mark Andrews, which will continue to limit his fantasy ceiling.

Sunday, August 10, 4:12 PM

Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner has looked "very promising" in training camp practices and is "currently the No. 1 tight end," according to Michael-Shawn Duggar of The Athletic. A fourth-round pick out of Michigan in the 2024 draft, Barner recorded 30 catches for 245 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games (six starts) as a rookie. Seattle released veteran tight end Noah Fant last month, which could be an indication of the confidence the organization has in Barner. However, the Seahawks also used a second-round pick in the 2025 draft at the position when they selected Elijah Arroyo, so Barner will still have in-house competition for targets and playing time.