Dallas Goedert vs Isaiah Likely: Who Should You Start?
Dallas Goedert and Isaiah Likely are at different tiers heading into 2026. The Philadelphia Eagles tight end averaged 10.3 PPG in 2025, a full 6.9 points per game ahead of Isaiah Likely's 3.4 with the New York Giants. That kind of gap doesn't close on matchup alone.
A 6.9-PPG gap gives Dallas Goedert the edge on paper, but paper does not account for Thursday night matchups, weather games, or a star defender returning from injury. The real question is not who was better in 2025, but who is the better start this specific week.
Dallas Goedert is the volume tight end in this matchup with 60 receptions for 591 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 Dallas Goedert, but the floor gap is real.
Dallas Goedert has his bye in Week 5, and Isaiah Likely rests in Week 11. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at tight end for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
