How good a fantasy football tight end will New York Giants star Isaiah Likely be in 2026?
ESPN’s Eric Moody believes Likely is a top-10 fantasy sleeper for the upcoming season.
Likely has a clear path to a bigger role with the Giants after being stuck behind Mark Andrews in Baltimore. New York lacks proven pass-catching options behind Malik Nabers, and Likely has already produced TE1 numbers when given opportunities. His only extended stretch without Andrews came in 2023, when he averaged 13.5 fantasy points per game over seven games.
Likely will compete with Theo Johnson for targets at tight end in New York next season. The Giants also signed Odell Beckham Jr. and JuJu Smith-Schuster in free agency, adding more star power to the receiving corps. That additional competition will affect the targets Likely sees in 2026.
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Still, Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart could benefit greatly from having a reliable receiver like Likely, who excels at catching the ball on flat routes and in-breaking routes. When Dart scrambles out of the pocket, Likely can serve as a dependable safety valve in short and intermediate areas, helping move the chains against swarming defenses.
Clay projects Likely to record 64 receptions for 684 receiving yards in 2026, making him the second-most targeted receiver on the Giants’ roster.
ESPN Fantasy Football projects him to score 156.7 fantasy points in PPR leagues. That would mark a significant jump from the 61.7 points he posted last season and would rank him ahead of New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (149.76 FPTS), Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (135.86 FPTS), and Washington Commanders tight end Chig Okonkwo (122.31 FPTS).
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants TE Isaiah Likely named a 2026 fantasy sleeper