Who Should I Start? Jake Ferguson or Isaiah Likely


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
9.8 0.0 0.0 4.2 34.8 0.3

Jake Ferguson News

Jake Ferguson Slipping Toward TE2 Territory

Friday, August 28, 11:39 AM

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson is looking a little less appealing for redraft as the target competition around him gets tougher. Ferguson caught 82 of 102 targets for 600 yards and eight touchdowns last season, but the production was heavily front-loaded. He was the overall TE1 in PPR through Week 7, then fell to TE22 over the rest of the year and managed only seven catches over his final four games. Ferguson still owns the starting job and remains a trusted red-zone option after drawing 23 targets inside the 20 last season, converting seven into touchdowns. The concern is how often Dallas will need to lean on him with CeeDee Lamb healthy, George Pickens coming off a huge year, and Ryan Flournoy emerging as a legitimate third receiver. Ferguson averaged only 7.3 yards per catch in 2025, so he needs steady volume and scoring chances more than most tight ends in his range. His role is safe, but the ceiling looks shakier than it did earlier in the offseason. RotoBaller currently has him in the TE14-TE15 range depending on scoring format.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
9.0 0.0 0.0 3.4 37.7 0.3

Isaiah Likely News

Isaiah Likely Could Have a Breakout Season in First Year With Giants

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.


Jake Ferguson vs. Isaiah Likely

Still trying to decide between Ferguson and Likely? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Jake Ferguson is projected to score 9.8 points this week while Isaiah Likely is projected to score 9.0 points.