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The 2024 NFL season started with a bang, as the Ravens and Chiefs put on an instant classic in the Thursday night season opener.
While there were several notable fantasy performances in Kansas City's 27-20 win, none were more surprising than that of Baltimore tight end Isaiah Likely.
Should fantasy managers be targeting Likely on the waiver wire following his monster performance in Week 1? Read on for Week 2 waiver wire analysis of Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely.
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Isaiah Likely's Week 1 Performance
In a season-opening matchup that featured superstars Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews, it was Likely who looked like the best tight end on the field in the Week 1 clash of AFC contenders.
ISAIAH LIKELY SO GOOD
📺: #Kickoff2024 on NBC/Peacock
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/wusReXzb9I— NFL (@NFL) September 6, 2024
Likely was a revelation in Baltimore's close loss to the Chiefs. The third-year pro out of Coastal Carolina hauled in nine of 12 targets for 111 receiving yards and a score. He narrowly missed a second TD catch as time expired, with a replay showing that his toe was out of bounds by millimeters.
The 24-year-old flashed his potential while filling in for an injured Andrews down the stretch last season. Likely tallied double-digit fantasy points in five of Baltimore's final seven games in 2023. Despite his obvious talent, his explosion on Thursday night with Andrews back in the lineup comes as a surprise.
Should I Pick Up Isaiah Likely for Week 2?
After losing a heartbreaker in a season opener on the road, Baltimore will return home to face the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2.
Reacting correctly to Week 1 is always a tricky proposition for fantasy managers, as it's extremely difficult to trust a one-game sample size. That's especially true when we see that star Ravens tight end Mark Andrews still out-snapped Likely 59 to 53 in the opener and is expected to remain a key component of the Baltimore offense going forward this year.
Ravens Week 1 TE Usage
- Mark Andrews: 71% snaps, 28 routes, 5.2 air yds per target, 30% snaps from tight, 60% from slow
- Isaiah Likely: 70% snaps, 24 routes, 9.4 air yds per target, 42% tight, 52% slot
— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) September 6, 2024
Despite Andrews' ability and presence, Likely's talent and big-play ability might make it impossible for the Baltimore coaching staff to keep the rising star off the field in 2024, which could lead to us seeing lots of 12 personnel from the Ravens offense.
So, while fantasy managers shouldn't expect this type of production from Likely on a weekly basis as long as Andrews remains healthy, the explosive youngster - who is currently rostered in around 27% of Yahoo leagues - should still be considered a very high-priority waiver wire target in all formats ahead of Week 2.
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