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The Sleeper Finally Wakes Up?
Isaiah Likely has been a fantasy sleeper for four seasons, and he's yet to wake up. Ever since the Baltimore Ravens selected him in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, analysts have been twisting and contorting their projections to make the case that he would become one of Lamar Jackson's key targets. It simply never happened.
| Year | Gms | Recs | RecYds | YPRec | RecTD | FPTs/Gm | FPTs | Preseason ADP | Per Game Rank | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 16 | 36 | 373 | 10.4 | 3 | 4.6 | 73.3 | 22 | 30 | Disappointment |
| 2023 | 17 | 30 | 411 | 13.7 | 5 | 5.1 | 86.1 | 29 | 26 | In-line, Non-Factor |
| 2024 | 16 | 42 | 477 | 11.4 | 6 | 6.5 | 104.7 | 18 | 18 | In-line |
| 2025 | 14 | 27 | 307 | 11.4 | 1 | 3.6 | 50.2 | 20 | 43 | Disappointment |
Despite never finishing higher than TE18 as a Raven, Likely is being drafted as the TE11 this season. Why? Because he left Baltimore and signed a lucrative contract with the New York Giants. Fortunately, the stars are finally aligning for him to deliver every-week value in 12-team leagues.
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The Pieces to the Puzzle
- The coaching staff prioritized him: The Giants' new regime targeted Likely immediately in free agency.
- The contract speaks volumes: New York's financial commitment guarantees him a massive role.
- An open depth chart: The targets behind Malik Nabers are completely up for grabs, and Nabers is recovering from a major injury.
- An exciting young quarterback: Jaxson Dart brings playmaking talent to the table.
Harbaugh Targeted Likely
When John Harbaugh took over the Giants' head coaching vacancy, he inherited the arduous process of rebuilding one of the league's worst-performing franchises. His first order of business in free agency was targeting Likely.
This wasn't a default signing; Likely was far and away the most intriguing free agent at the position who wasn't expected to re-sign with his incumbent team. While Kyle Pitts Sr. (Atlanta), Travis Kelce (Kansas City), and Dallas Goedert (Philadelphia) stayed put, the Ravens let Likely walk, allowing him to follow Harbaugh to Gotham.
The Contract Speaks Volumes
Plenty of players have signed massive contracts and failed to live up to them, so money alone doesn't guarantee fantasy production. However, it does illustrate exactly how seriously the Giants coveted Likely and the structural value they place on his role.
Likely signed a three-year, $40 million contract with $26 million guaranteed.
Top-10 Tight End Contracts by Annual Average Value (AAV)
| Player | Team | Total Value | AAV | Total Guaranteed | Fully Guaranteed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Kittle | SF | $76,400,000 | $19,100,000 | $35,000,000 | $35,000,000 |
| Trey McBride | ARI | $76,000,000 | $19,000,000 | $43,000,000 | $32,500,000 |
| Kyle Pitts Sr. | ATL | $53,000,000 | $17,666,667 | $36,000,000 | $36,000,000 |
| Isaiah Likely | NYG | $40,000,000 | $13,333,333 | $26,000,000 | $20,500,000 |
| Mark Andrews | BAL | $39,267,000 | $13,089,000 | $25,944,444 | $20,944,444 |
| Dalton Schultz | HOU | $12,600,000 | $12,600,000 | $17,600,000 | $17,600,000 |
| Jake Ferguson | DAL | $50,000,000 | $12,500,000 | $30,000,000 | $20,656,000 |
| Cole Kmet | CHI | $50,000,000 | $12,500,000 | $32,793,000 | $22,893,000 |
| Pat Freiermuth | PIT | $48,400,000 | $12,100,000 | $22,385,000 | $11,600,000 |
| Travis Kelce | KC | $12,000,000 | $12,000,000 | $12,000,000 | $12,000,000 |
Likely's deal ranks 4th in AAV, 7th in guaranteed money, and 11th in fully guaranteed money among all tight ends. That is top-tier starter money.
