Isaiah Likely vs Trey McBride: The Full Breakdown
Trey McBride and Isaiah Likely are at different tiers heading into 2026. The Arizona Cardinals tight end averaged 14.9 PPG in 2025, a full 11.5 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.
That 11.5-point weekly advantage for Trey McBride 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.
Trey McBride is the volume tight end in this matchup with 126 receptions for 1239 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 Trey McBride, but the floor gap is real.
Isaiah Likely has his bye in Week 11, and Trey McBride rests in Week 14. 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.
