Isaiah Likely fantasy projections: Week 12 Start/Sit Advice for Ravens TE ahead of MNF

Isaiah Likely's Week 1 performance elicited an echo of calls from fantasy managers to jokingly "tank for Likely." Most managers didn't follow through but those who did find themselves on the bottom of the Week 1 pool most likely still have the Ravens tight end. Now, in Week 12, with everything at stake, some managers might be kicking around whether to start the tight end.

Should you start Isaiah Likely for Week 12 fantasy football?

Isaiah Likely at Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns - Source: Imagn

Essentially, the choice boils down to whether you should start Likely or Will Dissly as every other team in the NFL with a game has played this week. If this is your case, Sportskeeda's Start/Sit Optimizer projects that Likely should be benched in favor of Dissly for Monday Night Football and the choice isn't particularly close.

Will Dissly is expected to earn 10.3 points, while Likely is expected to earn 7.9 points. That said, 7.9 points from a tight end is a decent day's work. However, it most likely won't be enough to be flex-worthy except in the most dire of circumstances. If you have both Dissly and Likely, it would be wise to start Dissly.

Isaiah Likely fantasy outlook for rest of 2024 season

Isaiah Likely at Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns - Source: Imagn

Despite putting up a star performance in the season opener, Likely has mostly been unreliable from a fantasy perspective. Sure, his Oct. 6 two-touchdown day was impressive and his 75 yards last week were enough to raise interest, but he has been unable to prove that he can be a reliable option every week.

As such, he is not a start-and-forget tight end. Every week for the remainder of the season, looking at the matchup and making a judgment call will be imperative. Put simply, this is not Travis Kelce in his prime.

Looking ahead, the Ravens only have a pinch of good matchups for Likely. They face the Philadelphia Eagles in a game that should keep Lamar Jackson throwing for all four quarters. They also face the Houston Texans on Christmas in what could be a similar opportunity for Likely in a potential championship fantasy football matchup.

Aside from that, the games either feature lockdown defenses like the Pittsburgh Steelers or blowouts with only a quarter or two of opportunities like the New York Giants. With Mark Andrews still fighting Isaiah Likely for targets, he will need matchups with catching opportunities all game long. Otherwise, starting Likely will be like buying a lottery ticket.