Who Should I Start? Jonnu Smith or Isaiah Likely
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.3 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 12.2 | 0.1 |
Jonnu Smith News
Thursday, August 27, 8:16 AM
The Green Bay Packers are signing former Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith to an undisclosed one-year deal on Thursday, sources told Jordan Schultz. Smith is one of the league's most respected veterans, and he has recorded 345 career catches and 30 touchdowns in his nine years in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins, and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Packers will be Smith's fourth different team in the last four years. The former third-rounder in 2017 by the Titans out of Florida International had a career year in Miami in 2024, catching 88 of 111 targets for 884 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games, but he cratered to a 38-222-2 line in 17 regular-season games last year in Pittsburgh while sharing work with Pat Freiermuth. With Luke Musgrave (neck) on the Physically Unable to Perform list, the 31-year-old should become Green Bay's TE2 behind Tucker Kraft (knee), who is coming off a torn ACL last year. Smith is unlikely to have standalone fantasy value with the Packers unless Kraft misses more time with an injury, but his presence is not great news for Kraft's potential breakout in 2026.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.7 | 41.4 | 0.3 |
Isaiah Likely News
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.
Jonnu Smith vs. Isaiah Likely
Still trying to decide between Smith and Likely? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Jonnu Smith is projected to score 3.3 points this week while Isaiah Likely is projected to score 9.7 points.
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