Isaiah Likely

Likely delivered jarringly volatile results in his third NFL season, finishing as the PPR TE16 (123.7 points). He holds the agonizing distinction of producing five weekly TE1 finishes, bookended by six weekly finishes outside the position's top 30. Likely caught 42-of-56 targets for 477 yards and six touchdowns on the year. Likely notably improved his yards per route run average by more than one-third of a yard, closing the season with a 1.71 average. Perhaps most importantly, Likely (nine) finished second only to Mark Andrews (10) for the team-high in playoff targets while leading the team in receiving yards (126) during that span. Andrews' waning season-long efficiency coupled with Likely's late-season productivity could give Likely the inside track for the team's No. 1 tight end role in 2025. Fantasy managers should strongly consider drafting Likely accordingly.

Bateman caught 45-of-67 targets for 756 yards and nine touchdowns en route to the PPR WR40 finish. His latter three receiving statistics are all regular season career-highs. Bateman remains a somewhat volatile producer week-to-week but intriguingly closes 2024 with his second-best yards per route run average (1.72). Fantasy managers should expect him to build on this strong showing next year. Bateman's field-stretching role is made easier by wide receiver Zay Flowers and tight end Isaiah Likely's continued development, giving Bateman decent odds of breaking into the WR3 ranks in 2025.

Andrews closes 2024 as the overall TE6 in PPR scoring (188.8 points), catching 55-of-69 targets for 673 yards and 11 touchdowns while rushing four times for five yards. The Ravens' veteran tight end scored just 22.0 PPR points in Week 1-5, dogged by rumors of an off-field injury. He bucked the trend thereafter though, producing four TE1 finishes in Weeks 6-10, including two finishes in the top three. Andrews can still be drafted as a mid-tier TE1 next season but fantasy managers should note that Andrews' per-route efficiency has steadily ticked downward in each of the last three seasons, ultimately dropping from 2.18 yards per route run in 2021 to 1.88 this season. His 2024 average is still among the position's best but his decline must be acknowledged nonetheless. The Ravens' No. 2 tight end Isaiah Likely also has a chance to assert himself as the team's preferred option.

Likely brought in four of five targets for 73 yards and a touchdown in the Ravens' 27-25 divisional-round loss to the Bills on Sunday.

Johnson fell to the ground and slid multiple yards across the snowy field after trailing Isaiah Likely in coverage. Johnson was already grabbing at his shoulder before he came to a stop. The Bills' star cornerback was able to return after being examined by the team's medical staff.