Who Should I Start? Isaiah Likely or Brock Bowers

Saturday, December 21, 10:16 PM

Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely corralled all three of his targets for 29 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 34-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The third-year pro scored his fifth TD of the season -- matching his career-best mark from a year ago. His score was a nine-yard walk-in off a nifty misdirection in the first quarter. With quarterback Lamar Jackson brandishing low passing volume again, Likely was stuck with another low target-total outing. However, his yardage mark, target, and reception total were third most on the offense behind wide receiver Zay Flowers and fellow tight end Mark Andrews. While the 24-year-old is tough to trust for fantasy, he's flashed his upside when called upon in a featured role. Likely and the Ravens will square off against the Houston Texans next Wednesday in a road tilt.

Saturday, December 21, 2:58 AM

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers will face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16. They have one of the worst pass defenses in the last 25 years in terms of passing Expected Points Added per play allowed. That statistic attempts to measure how impactful each play is for the opposing offense. JAX thus allows a ton of big and crucial plays, and does that often. With the team's QB1, Aidan O'Connell (knee) set to return from injury, Bowers will have his preferred signal-caller back in the lineup, and should be fed a healthy dose of targets. This will be another chance for the stellar rookie to shine, and fantasy managers should not leave him out of their lineups in any leagues with tight end slots in starting lineups. He should be started in all leagues this week, as he's primed for a monster game.