The Baltimore Ravens will host the Detroit Lions on Monday night in Week 3, but tight end Isaiah Likely won’t be on the field. The third-year pass catcher has been ruled out as he continues to recover from a foot surgery he underwent during training camp.
Isaiah Likely’s Status for Week 3
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After missing the first two games of the season, Likely strung together three limited practices this week, a sign that his conditioning is improving. Still, the Ravens aren’t rushing him back. According to the team, Likely will now set his sights on Week 4’s matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs for a potential season debut.
The setback is frustrating for both the Ravens and fantasy managers who were hoping to see a larger role from Likely in 2025. With Mark Andrews still anchoring the position, Baltimore can afford to be cautious, but Likely’s absence delays any chance of early-season momentum.
Fantasy Football Outlook
Likely is a tricky player to evaluate for fantasy. He flashed upside in stretches—most notably when Andrews was sidelined in past years—but has never been consistent enough to lock into lineups. Mason LeBeau recently put it bluntly: “Likely will remain relevant throughout the season, but it’ll be too hard to predict when he’ll be a usage asset… he finds himself as the ideal TE handcuff to Mark Andrews — a player you can’t really start with confidence, but a potential league winner if Andrews were to miss any time.”
That evaluation echoes the reality: Likely has the talent to pop in any given week but doesn’t have the guaranteed workload. In deep leagues with IR spots, he’s worth stashing. In standard formats, he’s a risky hold unless Andrews is sidelined.
Long-Term Value Still Intriguing
Despite the frustrating injury start, Likely’s trajectory remains encouraging. His snap share has climbed each season, and his emergence has already cut into Andrews’ usage. At just 24 years old, he has the profile of a player who could eventually break into the TE1 conversation—just not while Andrews is healthy and dominating targets.
For now, fantasy managers should stay patient. Likely projects for 0.0 points in Week 3 and is firmly off the radar until he returns. But if Andrews ever misses time, Likely instantly vaults into starting territory.