Isaiah Likely Is the Giants' Breakout Fantasy Football Sleeper at Tight End

With Malik Nabers banged up and Wan'Dale Robinson gone, Likely is positioned to be New York's top receiving option early in the season.

New York Giants tight end Isaiah Likely | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

New York Giants tight end Isaiah Likely is set to step into a larger role for the first time in his career after spending four seasons behind Mark Andrews with the Baltimore Ravens.

Now paired with Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart in New York and with an anticipated larger role, Likely has become a popular breakout candidate in fantasy football circles.

A deeper look at his profile and the situation he's entering in New York shows that his preseason hype is fully justified.

With a current average draft position (ADP) of 111.1, Likely lands in the ninth round of 12-team drafts. He has the potential to be a steal for fantasy players willing to wait on their tight end selection.

Likely finished as the TE45 last season, averaging just 4.4 fantasy points per game in PPR formats. All signs point to a major bump in production in 2025, pushing him into the top-ten tight ends in fantasy football.

It’s widely anticipated that Likely will be deployed as a movable tight end, operating largely out of the slot, with major production in store.

One role in particular that Likely is expected to fill this season for the Giants is that of a big slot receiver, a role in which the former Raven finished fourth among all tight ends in yards per reception when lined up in the slot during the 2024 season.

Nabers, Robinson Absences Open Middle of Field for Likely

Tight end Isaiah Likely | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Giants are in need of a reliable target, especially over the middle of the field. Wide receiver Malik Nabers could miss some time with a lingering knee injury, and Wan’Dale Robinson, the Giants' most frequently targeted receiver last year, is now with Tennessee.

Those factors could mean that Likely becomes the top target in New York for the first month of the season, if not more. But where Likely will need to improve is in finding the end zone.

Last year, the tight end scored just once after recording 13 touchdowns over the previous two seasons.

Likely has much higher upside than other tight ends going in his range, like Dallas Goedert and Jake Ferguson. In a much more prominent role, he could comfortably finish as a top-ten tight end in fantasy football this season.

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