Why Giants TE Isaiah Likely is a Fantasy Football Sleeper in 2026

After yet another disappointing season, the Giants moved on from Brian Daboll as their head coach. They made a big splash with his replacement, signing Super Bowl-champion coach John Harbaugh to lead the franchise.

Many experienced head coaches like to bring players from to their new team. For Harbaugh, one of those players is now-Giants TE Isaiah Likely, who the Giants signed to a three-year, $40 million contract this offseason.

A 2022 fourth-round pick, Likely was never fully unleashed in Baltimore, stuck behind TE Mark Andrews — one of the most productive receivers in the franchise’s history.

Now the clear leader at tight end for the Giants, Likely has an ADP of 110.6 in fantasy football PPR leagues, per FantasyPros, as the 12th tight end off the board.

Let’s dig into Likely’s PrizePicks NFLSZN projections for the upcoming season and discuss why he is a top fantasy football sleeper in 2026.

Make your NFL picks on PrizePicks — including winners, players, and more!

{{nfl_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}

Isaiah Likely 2026 Fantasy Football Projections

Likely has flashed efficiency and explosiveness when given opportunities behind Mark Andrews, who has always owned the TE1 role. In 2023, he turned just 40 targets into 30 catches, 411 yards, and 5 TDs, then posted career highs in receptions (42), receiving yards (477), and TDs (6) in 2024.

A breakout looked possible in 2025 as Andrews aged, in his age-30 season, but injuries cost Likely the first three games and disrupted his upside. He finished with 27 catches for 307 yards and 1 TD.

Likely is projected for 625.5 receiving yards and 4 TDs on PrizePicks NFLSZN. However, he has never topped 477 yards in his career, though he has totaled 4+ TDs in two of the last threee seasons.

Find our staff's top 10 fantasy football sleepers HERE

{{nfl_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}

Isaiah Likely Projection – 625.5 Receiving Yards

Projection via PrizePicks NFLSZN game

This is a significant projection for Likely, considering his career-high for receiving yards in a season is 477. However, there are several reasons to believe that he will be a fantasy football sleeper in 2026 and can overachieve.

Although he didn’t receive a ton of targets in Baltimore, the Ravens didn’t dink-and-dunk when they did throw the ball his way.

His average 7.4 yards depth of target (aDOT) was in the 78th percentile for tight ends last season, per RotoWire. Likely had an aaDOT of at least 7.0 yards in three of his four seasons in Baltimore.

The Giants didn’t have a lot of talent at wide receiver last year, and that worsened when WR Malik Nabers tore his ACL in Week 4, missing the rest of the season. They threw to TE Theo Johnson often, leaving him with a 14.7% target share.

Johnson's aDOT was 7.9 yards, which helped him finish with 45 receptions for 528 yards. His yardage total could have been even higher, but he had an 8.1% drop rate, which didn’t help his cause.

Nabers is trending towards being available for Week 1, but the Giants still have plenty of question marks at wide receiver. They lost slot receiver Wan'Dale Robinson in free agency, then signed WR Calvin Austin III during the offseason for depth, but he has already gone down with a torn ACL.

That means Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney, rookie Malachi Fields, and retread Odell Beckham Jr. are vying for the WR2 and WR3 roles. In all actuality, it could be Likely who finishes second on the team in targets behind Nabers.

Add Isaiah Likely to your NFL picks on PrizePicks now!

{{nfl_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}

Isaiah Likely Projection – 4 Receiving TDs

Projection via PrizePicks NFLSZN game

All five of Theo Johnson’s touchdowns last season came with QB Jaxson Dart under center. He finished the year with 14 red-zone targets (team high), 3 of which came from inside of five yards.

Johnson led the team in red-zone targets for the entire campaign, beating out WR Wan’Dale Robinson (13) and fellow TE Daniel Bellinger (6). Both of those players are now in Tennessee, where Daboll is the new offensive coordinator.

Prior to last year’s disaster season with QB Lamar Jackson sidelined for the majority of it, Harbaugh viewed Likely as a viable red-zone option. He was given 20 red-zone targets across 2023 and 2024, which helped him finish with 11 TDs across those two seasons.

In general, the Ravens turned toward their tight ends often when they were close to scoring. In addition to Likely’s production, Andrews posted 30 red-zone targets and 17 touchdowns during that two-year span.

Make Fantasy Football Picks on PrizePicks in 2026

Now a member of the Giants, Isaiah Likely is primed to assume the biggest workload of his career in New York. Behind Nabers, the Giants don’t have many exciting pass-catching options.

Giants' new head coach Harbaugh has shown a propensity for targeting tight ends in the red zone, further strengthening Likely’s case to be a fantasy football sleeper.

Before the NFL begins, get in on the fun with PrizePicks NFLSZN projections. Pick 2-6 players, make predictions on their stats, and lock in your fantasy football squad on PrizePicks.

Plus, you can pick players and game winners to earn real money all season long on PrizePicks!

As we head into the NFL season, stay locked in on PrizePicks Playbook for weekly start/sit advice, waiver wire analysis, and game picks.