Latest news with #Likely
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fantasy Football TE Landscape: If you're not taking one of the Big 3, you're better off waiting come draft day
Drafting Brock Bowers, Trey McBride or George Kittle is a 100% viable strategy this fantasy football season. All three can separate from the rest of the tight ends and have upside to match the production of wide receivers taken in the same range. Bowers in particular looks like a truly special talent who's in a much-improved situation. But if you miss out on one of the Big 3 TEs this season, waiting until the end of drafts (or playing the waiver wire game) looks like a shrewd move. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] I'm not here to argue tight end is deep. It has always been and remains fantasy's thinnest position. However, there are many intriguing options who are available late (or don't get taken) in fantasy drafts, and a handful of them have a good chance of becoming fantasy starters at some point this season. Advertisement Here are a dozen fliers who are all ranked outside the top 14 tight ends according to 'expert consensus ranks.' Hunter Henry, New England Patriots Henry saw the third-highest TE target share (behind only Bowers and McBride) against man coverage last season, which is one of the more predictive stats for future tight end fantasy points. Drake Maye is ready to make the leap in Year 2, and New England pass-catchers remain wide open with Stefon Diggs' status in question. Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts Warren just broke the power conference record for yardage in a single season by 400 yards (besting Bowers). He has top 15 draft capital and plays indoors in a Shane Steichen system (with Daniel Jones looking increasingly likely to be the QB). Warren is unlikely to repeat the recent success by rookie tight ends Bowers and Sam LaPorta, but there's a good chance he's starting in fantasy lineups during championship weeks. Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears Loveland is the only tight end ever to record a 34%+ college target share, and he owns top 10 draft capital. New Bears coach Ben Johnson helped LaPorta finish as fantasy's TE1 as a rookie. Loveland will require patience, but he has upside to be a fantasy difference maker down the stretch. Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens Likely ranked eighth in fantasy points per target among TEs last season, and he has top-three upside should Mark Andrews get injured or be traded. Likely ranked first among TEs in percentage of team receiving TDs when on the field last year, and he tied with Bowers for second in percentage of team receiving yards. Fantasy managers just need Likely to have a bigger role. John Harbaugh says his goal is to make Likely an All-Pro, so he might get that chance in 2025. Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals Gesicki averaged 11.2 fantasy points (0.5 PPR) in games without Tee Higgins last year, which would've ranked behind only Bowers, McBride and Kittle for the season. The Bengals are the most aggressive throwing team in the NFL. Chig Onkonkwo, Tennessee Titans Okonkwo was the TE6 during the fantasy playoffs (Weeks 15-17) last year despite not scoring a touchdown, when he averaged 9.3 targets per game. He's been held back by Will Levis, but Okonkwo now gets the No. 1 overall pick throwing him passes on an offense thin at wide receiver. Advertisement [2025 Fantasy Draft Rankings: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kickers] Ja'Tavion Sanders, Carolina Panthers Sanders flashed as a rookie before suffering a neck injury that sent him to the hospital and limited his playing time over the rest of the season. He could easily emerge as a big part of a vastly improved Carolina offense led by a resurgent Bryce Young. Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars Strange got a huge fantasy boost with Evan Engram moving on to Denver. Engram owned the third-highest target share (25.1%) among tight ends last season, and Strange will have a much bigger role in an improved Liam Coen offense in 2025. Strange started over a 21-year-old Warren at Penn State and ranked top five in missed tackles/reception among tight ends last season. Strange has top 12 fantasy TE upside, but he's been drafted in just 4% of Yahoo leagues. Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns Fannin Jr. lasted until Round 3 of the NFL Draft, but he posted the No. 1 adjusted production score in the history of Dwain McFarland's Rookie Super Model. There's concern over his mediocre testing as well as his awkward running gait, but Fannin led all college pass-catchers in receiving yards last season, when he also recorded the most receptions and yards ever by a tight end. Fannin's production was undeniable, and the Browns could use his unique skill set right away. Fannin will be available on all waiver wires if early drafting is any indication. Mason Taylor, New York Jets The Jets' pass-catchers are as thin as it gets outside of Garrett Wilson, so Taylor could emerge as New York's WR2. Tight end Cole Kmet has put up big fantasy stats in the past with Justin Fields. Terrance Ferguson, Los Angeles Rams Sean McVay has finally found his athletic tight end. Ferguson will require patience in fantasy leagues, but he's an obvious candidate to become a major waiver add over the second half of the season. Theo Johnson, New York Giants Johnson sports elite workout metrics and enters Year 2 atop the Giants' tight end depth chart. New York is incredibly thin at pass-catcher outside of Malik Nabers, and the Giants vastly improved their QB room during the offseason. Johnson is yet another tight end fantasy sleeper who's going undrafted. Advertisement It doesn't end there, as more candidates include Kyle Pitts (this is the year!), Pat Freiermuth, Zach Ertz, Cade Otton, Dalton Schultz, Cole Kmet, Juwan Johnson, Taysom Hill, Elijah Arroyo, Oronde Gadsden II and Ben Sinnott. Clearly, there are numerous cheap if not outright free tight ends in drafts who could emerge as fantasy starters this season. Given this tight end landscape and quarterback being deeper than ever, fantasy managers have a terrific opportunity to load up early on running backs and wide receivers — the two most important positions when it comes to uncovering 'league-winners.'
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Baltimore Ravens Land Two Tight Ends in NFL Top 10
Baltimore Ravens Land Two Tight Ends in NFL Top 10 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Baltimore Ravens boast an incredible tight end room. Mark Andrews will enter his eighth season in the league after the Ravens selected him in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma. Advertisement Isaiah Likely will play his fourth season in the league after the Ravens took him in the fourth round in 2022. And they've been an incredible tandem when available. That's why Pro Football Focus named them both in the top 10 of their top tight ends in the NFL ahead of the 2025 season. 4. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens "While the final impression Andrews left in last season's playoffs was not good, he remains one of the best tight ends in the NFL when healthy. Andrews entered the NFL and shined in a limited role as a rookie and has not posted a sub-80.0 regular-season PFF overall grade since." 9. Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens "With Mark Andrews struggling to return from injury at the beginning of the 2024 season, Likely stepped up to provide a security blanket for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens' offense. As Andrews worked his way to 100%, Likely became less of a focal point but still showcased true top-tier skills and talent at the position, earning a career-high 77.0 PFF receiving grade in 2024." Advertisement Andrews is a three-time Pro Bowler and has been named First-Team All-Pro once. Likely hasn't had any of those honors yet, but is certainly due. Andrews has registered 5,530 yards over his career with 436 catches and 51 touchdowns. He posted a career-best 1,361 yards on 107 catches in 2021 with nine scores. Likely has tallied 1,261 yards on 108 receptions and 14 touchdowns across three seasons and 49 games with 19 starts. They're a dangerous tandem, and that's why they're both recognized in the top 10. Related: Ravens' Lamar Jackson Predicted To Sign $70 Million Per Year Contract Related: 'Remarkably Consistent' Ravens Dubbed Second-Most Complete Team This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
NBC Sports
30-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
John Harbaugh: I want to see Isaiah Likely be an All-Pro
Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely is entering the final year of his rookie deal, recently noting that he's focused on making plays happen rather than his contract. But if his head coach's vision comes to fruition, Likely will be in line for a big payday moving forward. 'I want to see [Likely] be an All-Pro,' John Harbaugh said in his press conference this week. 'That'd be my goal for him, and he's capable of it.' Likely has flashed his potential throughout his first three seasons. A fourth-round pick in 2022, he's been the second tight end to Mark Andrews for much of his career. In last year's season opener, he caught nine passes for 111 yards with a touchdown — and nearly had a second at the end of the game. But Likely didn't have another 100-yard game for the rest of the season. His top output was four catches for 75 yards in a Week 11 loss to the Steelers. He ended the year with 42 receptions for 477 yards with six touchdowns. Entering 2025, Likely said this week that he sees himself as a versatile piece for the offensive unit. 'I feel like in the offense, whether I'm out wide, in-line, in the backfield, anywhere, really just understanding [my job] and making plays where the plays really aren't there to be made,' Likely said of his expectations for the upcoming season. 'Just always trying to go the distance. Whether I catch a pass, whether I'm blocking down the field, always trying to make an explosive play happen while I'm on the field.' In 49 total games with 19 starts, Likely has 108 catches for 1,261 yards with 14 TDs.
Hamilton Spectator
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Mark Andrews reflects on his costly playoff drop, looks for redemption with the Ravens
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens made plenty of mistakes in their loss at Buffalo in last season's playoffs. The final one belonged to Mark Andrews, who let a tying 2-point conversion pass slip through his hands. It's not an easy thing to get over. 'It's tough. This is my life,' Andrews said Wednesday. 'I put a lot of work into this and everything I do is kind of focused on that. Everything I think about is focused on that, and so it wasn't the way that I had planned it, but that's all part of the story.' Andrews didn't talk to local reporters after the season ended, and this was his first post-practice availability. There was some question as to whether he'd be back with Baltimore, given his contract situation and the team's depth at tight end, but the 29-year-old Andrews is still with the Ravens, eyeing his eighth season. Before the drop against Buffalo, it had been another productive season for Andrews, who caught a career-high 11 touchdown passes and played in all 17 regular-season games for the first time since 2021. Like most of Baltimore's core, he has little left to prove in the regular season. The big question looking forward is whether the Ravens can avoid the types of self-inflicted issues that have derailed potential Super Bowl runs in the past — and Andrews is certainly under more scrutiny now. 'That's the thing about sports is that it doesn't always fall your way,' he said. 'It doesn't always go your way, but it's how you bounce back.' For Andrews, that's meant leaning on family and others in his circle. 'Really just surrounded myself with good people, not look at the outside noise and look myself in the mirror obviously, and just know the type of player that I am, know the type of work that I put in, and, as a professional, it's all about being able to move past it,' Andrews said. 'But storing that in the memory bank and understanding that this is not the end. This is something that I'm going to work with, I'm going to get better and improve and move on.' The Ravens didn't have too many significant losses in free agency this offseason, especially once they retained left tackle Ronnie Stanley. A year from now, however, the roster could look a lot different, especially at tight end. Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar all have expiring contracts this season. With the 25-year-old Likely producing quite a bit himself, Andrews could become expendable. 'I focus on myself and this team and let all the other stuff deal however it's going to be dealt with, but I'm extremely excited to be here,' Andrews said. 'This is an incredible organization. I'm very thankful to be here for my eighth year.' Likely sounds particularly glad to have Andrews back. 'I have to tell everybody, that's big brother. I'm glad everybody's speculation has died down, and I finally have to give him a hug when he came in because we're finally back at it, finally back on the turf together,' Likely said. 'He's been teaching me since I got here, since I stepped foot (into) being a Raven. From run game, pass game, how to watch film, how to take care of my body and really just take care of every moment in the league. So, I'm glad to have him back.' At the tight end position and elsewhere, the Ravens still have a wealth of talent. It's a team that hopes postseason failures of the past will finally stay in the past. 'It's learning from mistakes, and the beautiful thing is everybody that's here — we have a lot of guys that are coming back from last year and the year before, and obviously in the years past — so we've been able to learn a lot,' Andrews said. 'Obviously, I wish we didn't have to go through that again last year, but we've added a lot of guys, too. A lot of guys that are flying around, and this team is incredibly stacked with incredible players.' ___ AP NFL:
Winnipeg Free Press
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Mark Andrews reflects on his costly playoff drop, looks for redemption with the Ravens
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens made plenty of mistakes in their loss at Buffalo in last season's playoffs. The final one belonged to Mark Andrews, who let a tying 2-point conversion pass slip through his hands. It's not an easy thing to get over. 'It's tough. This is my life,' Andrews said Wednesday. 'I put a lot of work into this and everything I do is kind of focused on that. Everything I think about is focused on that, and so it wasn't the way that I had planned it, but that's all part of the story.' Andrews didn't talk to local reporters after the season ended, and this was his first post-practice availability. There was some question as to whether he'd be back with Baltimore, given his contract situation and the team's depth at tight end, but the 29-year-old Andrews is still with the Ravens, eyeing his eighth season. Before the drop against Buffalo, it had been another productive season for Andrews, who caught a career-high 11 touchdown passes and played in all 17 regular-season games for the first time since 2021. Like most of Baltimore's core, he has little left to prove in the regular season. The big question looking forward is whether the Ravens can avoid the types of self-inflicted issues that have derailed potential Super Bowl runs in the past — and Andrews is certainly under more scrutiny now. 'That's the thing about sports is that it doesn't always fall your way,' he said. 'It doesn't always go your way, but it's how you bounce back.' For Andrews, that's meant leaning on family and others in his circle. 'Really just surrounded myself with good people, not look at the outside noise and look myself in the mirror obviously, and just know the type of player that I am, know the type of work that I put in, and, as a professional, it's all about being able to move past it,' Andrews said. 'But storing that in the memory bank and understanding that this is not the end. This is something that I'm going to work with, I'm going to get better and improve and move on.' The Ravens didn't have too many significant losses in free agency this offseason, especially once they retained left tackle Ronnie Stanley. A year from now, however, the roster could look a lot different, especially at tight end. Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar all have expiring contracts this season. With the 25-year-old Likely producing quite a bit himself, Andrews could become expendable. 'I focus on myself and this team and let all the other stuff deal however it's going to be dealt with, but I'm extremely excited to be here,' Andrews said. 'This is an incredible organization. I'm very thankful to be here for my eighth year.' Likely sounds particularly glad to have Andrews back. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'I have to tell everybody, that's big brother. I'm glad everybody's speculation has died down, and I finally have to give him a hug when he came in because we're finally back at it, finally back on the turf together,' Likely said. 'He's been teaching me since I got here, since I stepped foot (into) being a Raven. From run game, pass game, how to watch film, how to take care of my body and really just take care of every moment in the league. So, I'm glad to have him back.' At the tight end position and elsewhere, the Ravens still have a wealth of talent. It's a team that hopes postseason failures of the past will finally stay in the past. 'It's learning from mistakes, and the beautiful thing is everybody that's here — we have a lot of guys that are coming back from last year and the year before, and obviously in the years past — so we've been able to learn a lot,' Andrews said. 'Obviously, I wish we didn't have to go through that again last year, but we've added a lot of guys, too. A lot of guys that are flying around, and this team is incredibly stacked with incredible players.' ___ AP NFL:
