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

Should Dynasty Managers Be Looking to Sell Pat Freiermuth?

Wednesday, July 8, 10:21 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth saw his numbers decline across the board in 2025, as he finished the season with 41 catches for 486 yards and four touchdowns on 54 targets across 17 games (eight starts). After finishing as the TE13 by per-game PPR scoring in 2024, Freiermuth slipped down to TE32 by the same measure in 2025. Freiermuth could see a target boost in 2026 following the departure of former Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith in free agency. However, Pittsburgh signed tight end Darnell Washington to a lucrative contract extension and also brought in a high-volume target earner in wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. In dynasty formats, Freiermuth profiles as a sell candidate ahead of what could be another year of production decline.


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 has Clear Breakout Potential Now That he's Out of Baltimore

Wednesday, July 15, 11:02 AM

The Athletic's Dan Duggan writes that New York Giants tight end Isaiah Likely is a breakout candidate in 2026 after signing a three-year, $40 million contract in free agency, the richest contract the team handed out in new head coach John Harbaugh's first season in the Big Apple. The big contract (he's now the fourth-highest-paid TE in the NFL) wasn't considered an overpay, either, because Likely's receiving talent is evident. The 26-year-old former fourth-rounder in 2022 by Baltimore out of Coastal Carolina never exceeded 42 receptions or 477 receiving yards in his four seasons in Baltimore because of the presence of veteran Mark Andrews. With the Giants, Likely will operate as the G-Men's unquestioned No. 1 tight end after following Harbaugh from Baltimore, and "the team needs his production to match his compensation." Likely's case for a 2026 breakout will be even stronger if top wideout Malik Nabers (knee) isn't ready for the start of the regular season in September. Likely is ranked as RotoBaller's No. 14 fantasy TE, but he'll have top-10 upside at the position if he stays healthy in his first year in New York.


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.