Cade Otton vs Isaiah Likely: Who Should You Start?
Two tight ends who will land on plenty of the same rosters in 2026. Cade Otton (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) finished the 2025 season averaging 5.8 fantasy points per game in 16 games. Isaiah Likely (New York Giants) came in at 3.4 PPG over 14 games. The gap is real but not insurmountable with the right matchup.
Cade Otton carries a 2.4-point PPG advantage from the 2025 season. That baseline matters, but it is one input among several. Matchup difficulty, scoring trends, and injury reports move the needle week to week, which is why the best answer changes depending on when you are asking.
Cade Otton is the volume tight end in this matchup with 59 receptions for 572 yards, while Isaiah Likely profiles as a more touchdown-dependent spike play (1 scores on 27 catches). In weeks where Isaiah Likely finds the end zone he out-scores Cade Otton, but the floor gap is real.
One thing to note: both players share a Week 11 bye. That means you need a backup plan at tight end for that week, especially if one of these two is your starter.
