Who Should I Start? Pat Freiermuth or Isaiah Likely

Friday, August 22, 12:08 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth hauled in both of his targets for six yards in a 19-10 exhibition victory over the Carolina Panthers. Freiermuth, who was held out of Pittsburgh's first two preseason contests, played with the first-team offense on Thursday night and was immediately a go-to option for quarterback Mason Rudolph. In addition to his two official opportunities, Freiermuth was targeted early in the first quarter on third down, but his defender was flagged for pass interference. While recently-acquired tight end Jonnu Smith (knee) isn't expected to miss any regular-season action, Freiermuth should still be a focal point of the Steelers' passing game that lacks depth at the wide receiver position. He's an intriguing late-round target with upside in most redraft fantasy leagues.

Wednesday, August 27, 6:51 PM

Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said that "we expect him back in the early part of the season," when asked about the timetable for injured tight end Isaiah Likely (foot). Likely was not placed on short-term Injured Reserve on Tuesday despite suffering a small fracture in his foot early in training camp in late July that required surgery. While it's ultimately good news for the 25-year-old, it doesn't mean that Likely is going to be ready to play in the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the Buffalo Bills. Likely's injury definitely makes veteran Mark Andrews are more intriguing midrange TE1 target in upcoming fantasy drafts. Likely had a slightly bigger role alongside Andrews in 2024 and finished with a 42-477-6 line (all career-highs) in 16 regular-season games (nine starts). Likely is a low-end TE2 worth stashing in fantasy, especially TE-premium leagues.