Isaiah Likely or Jacory Croskey-Merritt: Who Should You Start?

2026 Week 2 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.

Likely's expanded receiving role gives him the PPR edge

Start Isaiah Likely narrowly: his Week 1 production came with genuine receiving volume, not just touchdown luck, as he caught every target and took over much of the slot work (Yahoo Sports (PFF) 2026-09-14). Croskey-Merritt has the better team scoring environment and lead-back role, but his limited passing-game involvement makes his floor more dependent on rushing and goal-line work. Likely's matchup is tougher on paper, yet that concern is outweighed by his superior positional standing and newly expanded route profile.

What flips it: Croskey-Merritt taking on meaningful passing-game work or Likely returning to a traditional tight-end role.

Sources: Yahoo Sports (PFF) · Sep 14, 2026

AI editor

In standard scoring this is a coin flip.

Isaiah Likely

Isaiah Likely

TE14NYGvs LAR

Projected Points

Start· medium
Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Jacory Croskey-Merritt

RB41WSHvs DAL

Projected Points

Start

Isaiah Likely’s market

REC
O/U 4.5
-115 / -111
Receptions Props →
REC YDS
O/U 44.5
-114 / -114
Receiving Yards Props →
ATD
Anytime TD
+285
Anytime Touchdown Props →

Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s market

RUSH YDS
O/U 53.5
-113 / -111
Rushing Yards Props →
ATD
Anytime TD
+100
Anytime Touchdown Props →
NYG@
LARMon, Sep 21, 8:15 PM ETView the game →
WSH@
DALSun, Sep 20, 4:25 PM ETView the game →

Why Isaiah Likely

Start· medium

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

28% target share and a Week 1 line of 8-for-8 with two TDs make Likely a clear TE1 play at TE14, even in a tough on-paper matchup.

  • Slot deployment gives Likely a receiver-like path to points beyond red-zone scores.
  • His athletic seam and red-zone role can punish coverage even with a modest team total.

The call

  • Usage is the sell: a 28% target share and an 8-target, 8-catch, two-touchdown Week 1 in which he absorbed slot snaps (17) previously held by Wan'Dale Robinson — that's a featured role, not a rotational one.
  • The DvP composite of 7 of 32 looks scary but it's a one-game sample with 0.00 confidence; there's not enough signal there to bench a 28%-target tight end.
  • Game script helps: an 8.5-point spread and a 20.0 implied total point to negative-script passing volume, which funnels targets to the underneath and slot area Likely now works.
  • Risk is the 49% snap share — he's still splitting time, so the floor depends on efficiency and red-zone looks rather than raw volume.

Latest on Likely

Role

Likely led the Giants' Week 1 pass-catchers with an 82.8 PFF grade, catching all eight targets for two touchdowns and taking over much of the slot receiver role (17 slot snaps) previously held by Wan'Dale Robinson.

Yahoo Sports (PFF) · Sep 14, 2026
Isaiah Likely's Week 2 preview
VideoESPN · Sep 16, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Why Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Start

Lead back and volume runner. Decisive one-cut rusher with tackle-breaking contact balance; limited passing-game work.

Start — RB41 consensus, projects RB31 this week: 3% target share, 10.2 PPR projected vs DAL.

  • Lead-back status gives Croskey-Merritt a sturdy rushing workload if Washington controls the game.
  • The higher team total creates more paths to a touchdown despite his limited target involvement.

Latest on Croskey-Merritt

Oweh (calf) among 4 Commanders players cleared to play vs. Eagles

The Commanders have cleared Odafe Oweh, K'Lavon Chaisson, Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Daron Payne to play in Sunday's season opener against the Eagles.

ESPN · Sep 11, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Head-to-head stats

MetricIsaiah LikelyJacory Croskey-Merritt
Projected points
Consensus rankTE14RB41
Opponent vs positionLAR · 7 of 321-game sampleDAL · 17 of 321-game sample
Receptions9 of 3212 of 32
Receiving Yards9 of 3211 of 32
Receiving TDs1 of 32—
Targets15 of 32—
Anytime TD1 of 3222 of 32
Rushing Yards—22 of 32
Rushing TDs—15 of 32
Rushing Attempts—21 of 32
Target share28%3%
Reception share35%6%
Implied total · spread20.0+8.523.5+4.5
Depth chartTE1RB1
Snap share49%49%
Start/Sit record1–0—

Recent form

Isaiah Likely — last 1 week

Week 1vs DAL

Jacory Croskey-Merritt — last 1 week

Week 1vs PHI

Signal breakdown

  • 11.0 vs 10.2 projected PPR pointsIsaiah Likely +
  • Rank 14 vs 41Isaiah Likely +
  • Opponent DvP rank 7 vs 17 (32 = softest)even
  • Implied 20.0 vs 23.5 team pointsJacory Croskey-Merritt +
  • No injury designationseven
  • 49% vs 49% snap shareeven

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