Who Should I Start? Isaiah Likely or Ja'Tavion Sanders


Week 1 Projections

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Isaiah Likely News

Isaiah Likely Remains Well-Positioned for Mid-Career Breakout Following NFL Draft

Tuesday, April 28, 8:58 AM

After spending the first four years of his NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens, tight end Isaiah Likely landed a three-year, $40 million deal with the New York Giants in free agency. Likely flashed upside throughout his time with Baltimore, but his path to consistently fantasy-relevant production was often blocked by the presence of veteran Ravens tight end Mark Andrews. In New York, Likely could find himself in another timeshare for tight end snaps with incumbent Giants tight end Theo Johnson. Johnson had a solid year in 2025, recording 45 receptions for 528 yards and five touchdowns on 74 targets across 15 games. However, given the financial investment the Giants made in Likely and the fact that he's following former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh from Baltimore to New York, it wouldn't be shocking to see Likely open the year as the clear TE1. The Giants also do not have an obvious second option in the passing game behind star wideout Malik Nabers (knee), which could further open the door for a breakout year from Likely. A significant jump in production for Likely is not guaranteed, but his dynasty value is in a better spot after his move to New York.


Week 1 Projections

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Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Ja'Tavion Sanders News

Ja'Tavion Sanders Cutting Laterally at OTAs

Wednesday, May 27, 6:48 PM

Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders (leg) looks freshly healthy during OTA practices this week and was cutting laterally like he did before suffering a season-ending leg injury in 2025, according to Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer. Sanders played in 13 games (five starts) last year in his second season in the NFL before suffering a broken right fibula in December that required surgery. The 23-year-old former fourth-rounder (101st overall) in 2024 out of the University of Texas caught 29 of his 34 targets for 190 yards and one touchdown before his injury. He's batting Tommy Tremble for the title of top pass-catching TE in Carolina, but Sanders has more fantasy upside long-term if he can stay on the field. Tremble is the better blocker of the two, and Sanders caught 33 passes for 342 yards and a score in 16 games (eight starts) in his first year in the league for the Panthers. Until we see more from Sanders in Year 3, he'll merely be a TE streaming option when bye weeks hit in 2026. RotoBaller currently has Sanders ranked as the No. 39 TE going into the upcoming campaign.


Isaiah Likely vs. Ja'Tavion Sanders

Still trying to decide between Likely and Sanders? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Isaiah Likely is projected to score 0.0 points this week while Ja'Tavion Sanders is projected to score 0.0 points.