Isaiah Likely vs Theo Johnson: Who Should You Start?
Isaiah Likely and Theo Johnson are both viable fantasy tight ends heading into 2026, but their 2025 production tells two different stories. Isaiah Likely averaged 3.4 PPG across 14 games with the New York Giants, while Theo Johnson posted 7.0 PPG in 15 appearances for the New York Giants.
A 3.6-PPG gap gives Theo Johnson 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.
Theo Johnson is the volume tight end in this matchup with 45 receptions for 528 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 Theo Johnson, 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.
