Who Should I Start? Pat Freiermuth or Isaiah Likely
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 30.8 | 0.2 |
Pat Freiermuth News
Saturday, September 5, 10:31 AM
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth should have a little more room to operate after spending last season stuck in a crowded rotation. Freiermuth played just over half of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps and saw 54 targets, the exact same number as Jonnu Smith. Smith is gone now after being released in March, leaving Freiermuth, Darnell Washington and Robert Tonyan in the tight end room. That doesn't mean Washington disappears. He actually played slightly more snaps than Freiermuth last season and should remain heavily involved, especially as a blocker. There is still less competition than a year ago, when Freiermuth fell to 41 catches for 486 yards and four touchdowns after posting a 65-653-7 line in 2024. He also showed some early chemistry with Aaron Rodgers this summer, including a 23-yard touchdown during a two-minute drill in camp. DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. will command plenty of targets, but Smith's departure gives Freiermuth a better chance to stay on the field and get back into the TE2 conversation.
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
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.
Pat Freiermuth vs. Isaiah Likely
Still trying to decide between Freiermuth and Likely? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Pat Freiermuth is projected to score 7.5 points this week while Isaiah Likely is projected to score 9.0 points.
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