Who Should I Start? Trey McBride or Isaiah Likely

Sunday, November 30, 9:41 PM

Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride continued his run of dominant play in Week 13 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, recording eight catches for 82 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. The 26-year-old has now hauled in 88 receptions for 879 yards and eight touchdowns on 118 targets across 12 games played this season. McBride's numbers have been particularly eye-popping since quarterback Jacoby Brissett took over for the injured Kyler Murray (foot) in Arizona. Across Brissett's seven starts, McBride is averaging 8.4 receptions and 86.3 receiving yards on 10.9 targets per game. He's also scored seven touchdowns in that span. As long as McBride remains healthy, he profiles as the number one tight end in fantasy football. Arizona will host the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14.

Tuesday, December 2, 11:59 AM

Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely posted his most productive performance of the season in Week 13, recording five catches for 95 yards on six targets against the Cincinnati Bengals. However, the 25-year-old was also responsible for one of the turning points in the game when he coughed up a fumble as he was crossing the goal line, turning a touchdown into a touchback. Still, Likely's increased involvement is a positive sign for fantasy managers. Although he's failed to find the end zone so far this season, Likely recorded six touchdowns on 58 targets across 16 games in 2024 and has shown stretches of red zone chemistry with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson throughout his career. The presence of tight ends Mark Andrews and Charlie Kolar in Baltimore limits Likely's upside, as he's played fewer than 60% of the team's offensive snaps in six straight games heading into his Week 14 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, in deep fantasy leagues, Likely may be worth stashing off the waiver wire in case an injury to Andrews opens up a significant playing time opportunity in Baltimore.