Isaiah Likely vs T.J. Hockenson: Who Should You Start?
If you are choosing between Isaiah Likely and T.J. Hockenson for your lineup, you are not alone. Isaiah Likely finished the 2025 season at 3.4 PPG for the New York Giants (14 games), and T.J. Hockenson averaged 5.8 for the Minnesota Vikings (15 games).
That 2.4-point weekly advantage for T.J. Hockenson is meaningful but not automatic. Fantasy football is a week-to-week sport, and the answer to "who should I start" often changes based on opponent, recent form, and game environment. Season averages set the baseline; weekly context makes the call.
T.J. Hockenson is the volume tight end in this matchup with 51 receptions for 438 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 T.J. Hockenson, but the floor gap is real.
Isaiah Likely has his bye in Week 11, and T.J. Hockenson rests in Week 6. 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.
