Replacing Mark Andrews is near impossible for fantasy football managers (seven TE1 finishes in his nine games prior to getting hurt on Thursday night), but the best option on waiver wires is pretty clearly Isaiah Likely.
Isaiah Likely’s Rest-of-Season Outlook
The Baltimore Ravens are chasing the top seed in the AFC and desperately need to replace the safe production that Andrews has provided them this season. Is Likely the player to step up, or will Baltimore spread around the vacated targets and leave fantasy managers wanting more?
2023 Target Shares
- Zay Flowers: 23.9%
- Mark Andrews: 22.9%
- Odell Beckham Jr.: 16.6%
Outside of Flowers, the Ravens lack an above-average target earner now that Andrews is on the shelf. And with Lamar Jackson putting up career-best numbers through the air (69.5% complete, 8.1 yards per attempt) in Todd Monken’s system, the door for Likely to return viable weekly production at the TE position is wide open.
And if you’re considering trading for a tight end, our PFN Trade Analyzer allows you to find the best trades to make in seconds! I’ve also got you covered from a strategic standpoint as to what is optimal when Mark Andrews’ managers look to trade for a replacement.
Let’s have the tough #FantasyFootball trade conversation …
TRADE RANKINGS – take into account schedule, role and perception
Who are the TEs that Mark Andrews managers should target? I rank the top 9!https://t.co/tpvNimVYiO
— Kyle Soppe (@KyleSoppePFN) November 17, 2023
We don’t have a massive sample size to play with for the 23-year-old Likely, but the data points we do have are encouraging.
For his career, Likely averages 11.2 fantasy points over the five games in which he has seen at least five targets (TD or 100 yards in four of those five games). So where does that land him in the rest-of-season TE rankings?
Who Should You Roster in Fantasy Football?
Should You Roster Isaiah Likely or Cade Otton?
As much as I like that Cade Otton is always on the field, the fact that he has one productive fantasy game in such a role is a red flag. With one game of 45+ receiving yards, Otton is nothing more than a touchdown-dependent option in an inconsistent offense that has an elite scoring receiver in Mike Evans.
Likely has none of those issues and is clearly ahead of Otton for me moving forward.
Should You Roster Likely or Kyle Pitts?
It’s been over a month since the last time Pitts saw more than five targets in a game. The volume is a concern, and there’s no guarantee that even if that got corrected (have fun betting on that being the case with Arthur Smith), that the quality of looks would be high enough to make him a stable fantasy option.
MORE: Week 11 TE Waiver Wire Targets
Likely is a talented player with a path to consistent work in a creative offense that ranks fifth in scoring this season, while Pitts is in a TE committee as a part of a cookie-cutter offense that ranks 24th in points per game.
Should You Roster Likely or Dalton Kincaid?
This is where I draw the line. Dalton Kincaid has been responsible for 28.3% of Buffalo’s receptions over the past month, and that’s a passing game that I trust from a volume perspective more than Baltimore’s.
For me, Kincaid is already what we hope Likely will be — the second option in a high-powered offense with strong physical tools. Both are fantasy starters moving forward, but I’d rather have Kincaid.
Kyle Soppe’s Updated Rest-of-Season TE Rankings
1) Travis Kelce | KC
2) T.J. Hockenson | MIN
3) Evan Engram | JAX
4) Sam LaPorta | DET
5) George Kittle | SF
6) Dalton Kincaid | BUF*
7) Jake Ferguson | DAL
8) Dalton Schultz | HOU
9) Trey McBride | ARI
10) Isaiah Likely | BAL*
11) Kyle Pitts | ATL*
12) Taysom Hill | NO
13) Luke Musgrave | GB
14) Gerald Everett | LAC
15) Logan Thomas | WAS
16) Michael Mayer | LV
17) David Njoku | CLE
18) Tyler Conklin | NYJ
19) Jonnu Smith | ATL
20) Cole Kmet | CHI
21) Cade Otton | TB*
22) Dallas Goedert | PHI
23) Donald Parham Jr. | LAC
24) Tyler Higbee | LAR
25) Greg Dulcich | DEN
26) Hunter Henry | NE
27) Juwan Johnson | NO
28) Chigoziem Okonkwo | TEN
29) Mike Gesicki | NE
30) Darren Waller | NYG
31) Hayden Hurst | CAR
32) Irv Smith Jr. | CIN
33) Pat Freiermuth | PIT
34) Noah Fant | SEA
35) Jelani Woods | IND
36) Zach Ertz | ARI
37) Dawson Knox | BUF
38) Noah Gray | KC
39) Daniel Bellinger | NYG
40) Austin Hooper | LV
41) Albert Okwuegbunam | PHI
42) Luke Schoonmaker | DAL
43) Foster Moreau | NO
44) Robert Tonyan | CHI
45) Tucker Kraft | GB
46) Brevin Jordan | HOU
47) Will Dissly | SEA
48) Darnell Washington | PIT
49) Adam Trautman | DEN
50) Mo Alie-Cox | IND
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Start/Sit Optimizer and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!