Who Should I Start? Richie James or Isaiah Likely

Saturday, July 19, 11:06 AM

Wide receiver Richie James announced on X on Friday that he is retiring from professional football. "It took time but i have come to realize I am retired from the NFL. Seventh round out of MTSU. I feel like I was just a ballplayer to last that long. Unfortunately, my knee never healed properly. I was playing hurt since 2022. Oh well. I gave everything I got to the game of football," James wrote. The 29-year-old was originally selected 240th overall in the seventh round by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2018 NFL draft out of Middle Tennessee State. He played the first three years of his career in the Bay Area before joining the New York Giants in 2022. James last played for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023. He will finish his five-year career with 105 catches on 143 targets for 1,372 yards and seven touchdowns in 66 regular-season games (15 starts).

Friday, December 12, 10:49 AM

Across 10 games so far this season, Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely has recorded 22 receptions for 248 yards and a touchdown on 31 targets. While his full-season numbers don't jump off the page, the 25-year-old appears to be trending upwards. Over his last two games, Likely has hauled in nine catches for 124 yards and a touchdown on 12 targets. If not for an ill-fated fumble at the goal line in Week 13 and a questionable call on a dropped touchdown in Week 14, Likely might have three scores over the last two weeks. Given veteran tight end Mark Andrews' (glute) presence in Baltimore, Likely's playing time usually has a defined ceiling. However, Andrews popped up on Thursday's injury report as a limited practice participant due to a glute injury heading into Baltimore's Week 15 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. If Andrews is facing any sort of missed time, Likely would immediately emerge as a high-upside starting tight end option for fantasy managers.