Devaughn Vele or Isaiah Likely: Who Should You Start?

2026 Week 3 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.

Vele brings the routes; Likely brings the target concentration

Vele's near-every-down WR-2 role gives him the steadier route floor, while Likely commands a substantial share of his offense's looks despite playing fewer snaps. Likely's small projection edge is noise across positions: his red-zone flexibility offers a tight-end scoring path, while Vele's size and intermediate role support repeatable involvement. Both matchup readings come from only two games with no confidence, so the usage tradeoff—not the DvP ranks—keeps these starts level.

What flips it: Likely earning a larger snap share without losing his target concentration.

AI editor

Devaughn Vele

Devaughn Vele

WRNOvs LV

Projected Points

Start· medium
Isaiah Likely

Isaiah Likely

TE14NYGvs TEN

Projected Points

Start· medium

Devaughn Vele’s market

REC
O/U 4.5
+126 / -161
Receptions Props →
REC YDS
O/U 48.5
-114 / -114
Receiving Yards Props →
ATD
Anytime TD
+300
Anytime Touchdown Props →

Isaiah Likely’s market

REC
O/U 3.5
-150 / +117
Receptions Props →
REC YDS
O/U 39.5
-118 / -113
Receiving Yards Props →
ATD
Anytime TD
+290
Anytime Touchdown Props →
LV@
NOSun, Sep 27, 4:25 PM ETView the game →
TEN@
NYGSun, Sep 27, 1:00 PM ETView the game →

Why Devaughn Vele

Start· medium

Starting WR with rare size. Big-bodied contested-catch target in the intermediate game.

94% snap share and a locked WR-2 role with 19% target share make Vele a playable PPR flex at 11.5 projected, even against a top-10 DvP unit.

  • Vele's WR-2 assignment keeps him involved on ordinary passing downs, not just in a specialty package.
  • His size gives him a distinct path to winning intermediate targets even when separation is limited.

The call

  • Role is not in question: 94% snap share through two games with a 19% target share means he's on the field for everything as the WR-2, and that volume floor is what flex plays live on in PPR.
  • The 11.5-point projection lands him in solid FLEX/WR3 territory — clearly above a typical replacement option in a 12-team league.
  • The matchup grades tough (7 of 32 vs the position), but that composite comes off a 2-game sample with 0.00 confidence, so it's not reliable enough to bench a full-time receiver over.
  • Game script is neutral-to-good: 23.0 implied team total as a 3.5-point favorite keeps the offense on schedule without forcing a pass-heavy blowout chase — the main risk is a run-out-the-clock win that caps his targets.

Latest on Vele

Saints QB Tyler Shough expects less jitters vs. Ravens

The 26-year-old starter is the first to say he and his New Orleans team will fight through the adversity.

ESPN · Sep 18, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Why Isaiah Likely

Start· medium

Starting TE and pass-catching mismatch. Athletic seam-stretcher with red-zone flex ability.

30% target share through 2 games and a 12.2-point projection make Likely a startable TE14 despite a tougher-looking DvP of 9 of 32.

  • Likely's athletic seam role can make his concentrated targets count despite fewer routes.
  • His red-zone flexibility gives him a tight-end scoring path Vele's role doesn't replicate.

The call

  • Usage is the driver: a 30% target share is elite for a tight end, and it offsets a modest 59% snap share that would normally cap his floor.
  • The matchup reads unfavorable at 9 of 32, but that composite rests on a 2-game sample with 0.00 confidence, so it shouldn't outweigh his role.
  • Game script is supportive: a 23.8 implied team total as a 3-point favorite points to a functional offense with red-zone chances.
  • The risk is volatility. Two games of target data can regress, and the part-time snap share leaves a thin floor if the looks dry up. At TE14 with 12.2 projected, he still clears typical streaming options.

Latest on Likely

Isaiah Likely's Week 2 preview
VideoESPN · Sep 16, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Head-to-head stats

MetricDevaughn VeleIsaiah Likely
Projected points
Consensus rank—TE14
Opponent vs positionLV · 7 of 322-game sampleTEN · 9 of 322-game sample
Receptions2 of 3215 of 32
Receiving Yards16 of 321 of 32
Receiving TDs1 of 321 of 32
Targets14 of 3216 of 32
Anytime TD1 of 3213 of 32
Target share19%30%
Reception share19%35%
Implied total · spread23.0-3.523.8-3.0
Depth chartWR2TE1
Snap share94%59%
Start/Sit record1–01–1

Recent form

Devaughn Vele — last 2 weeks

Week 2vs BAL
Week 1vs DET

Isaiah Likely — last 2 weeks

Week 2vs LAR
Week 1vs DAL

Signal breakdown

  • 11.5 vs 12.2 projected PPR pointsIsaiah Likely +
  • Consensus position rankeven
  • Opponent DvP rank 7 vs 9 (32 = softest)even
  • Implied 23.0 vs 23.8 team pointsIsaiah Likely +
  • No injury designationseven
  • 94% vs 59% snap shareDevaughn Vele +

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