Isaiah Likely Might be Sidelined into the Season

What They're Saying

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler: "If all goes well, it's an early season return and Week 1 is possible."

2025 Fantasy Football Impact

Don't overlook these key details:

• "If all goes well"
• "possible"

Likely's not going to spend all of August sitting down, so there's a chance that all doesn't go well. And the best-case scenario apparently calls Week 1 a possibility, not even his expected return date.

Whenever Likely gets back onto the field, we should also expect a ramp-up period. And even a full-strength Likely remains the No. 2 TE, behind Mark Andrews.

This injury -- even if it proves relatively minor -- should be enough to keep Likely from getting drafted in most fantasy football leagues of 12 teams or fewer.

We'll keep track of his progress.

Other Winners & Losers

Likely averaged 3.6 targets per game last season, so there will be some opportunity available should he miss regular-season games.

Free-agent addition DeAndre Hopkins might stand to win the most from that absence. Hopkins should prove especially attractive as an end-zone target, an area that Likely also factors heavily into.

Second-year WR Devontez Walker has also garnered slight buzz this summer. Perhaps he finds more playing time if Likely's out.

Ultimately, I wouldn't draft any Ravens player higher now than I was before the Likely injury. That said, Andrews gains some attractiveness at his TE7 ADP.