Isaiah Likely vs Oronde Gadsden: Who Should You Start?
Two tight ends who will land on plenty of the same rosters in 2026. Isaiah Likely (New York Giants) finished the 2025 season averaging 3.4 fantasy points per game in 14 games. Oronde Gadsden (Los Angeles Chargers) came in at 7.1 PPG over 15 games. The gap is real but not insurmountable with the right matchup.
Oronde Gadsden carries a 3.7-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.
Oronde Gadsden is the volume tight end in this matchup with 49 receptions for 664 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 Oronde Gadsden, but the floor gap is real.
One scheduling note: Isaiah Likely is off Week 11 and Oronde Gadsden Week 5. If these two are on your roster, you will need a fill-in tight end for both weeks. DraftCall flags bye conflicts so you can plan ahead rather than panic on waivers.
