Isaiah Likely or Trey McBride: Who Should You Start?

2026 Week 1 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.

McBride’s every-down role outweighs Likely’s better scoring environment

McBride is the stronger play because his every-down role and target dominance create a much safer TE floor, making the projection gap more meaningful than it would be at quarterback. Likely does have the better game environment, and the Giants’ plan to use him as a “big slot receiver” could expand his route involvement if Malik Nabers is limited (Sports Illustrated (Giants On SI) 2026-09-02). The risk with McBride is a quiet Cardinals offense or a game script that removes fourth-quarter volume, but his role remains far more secure.

What flips it: A confirmed expanded receiving role for Likely or a late restriction for McBride.

Sources: Sports Illustrated (Giants On SI) · Sep 2, 2026

AI editor

Isaiah Likely

Isaiah Likely

TE14NYGvs DAL

Projected Points

Start· medium
Trey McBride

Trey McBride

TE1ARIvs LAC

Projected Points

Start
DAL@
NYGSun, Sep 13, 8:20 PM ETView the game →
ARI@
LACSun, Sep 13, 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.

TE14 with a 9.5-point projection, 59% snaps and a 14% target share in a near-pick'em game — startable volume at a thin position.

  • Likely’s big-slot deployment gives him a credible path to more routes than his baseline usage suggests.
  • A competitive Giants game supports his red-zone mismatch role and gives the underdog a workable ceiling.

The call

  • 9.5 projected PPR points is a real TE1-fringe number; at a position where the back half of starting lineups routinely lives on 6-7 points, TE14 with this projection clears the replacement bar.
  • Role is stable and healthy: 59% snap share and a 14% target share over 11 games, no injury designation, and he sits atop the TE depth slot.
  • Game script cooperates — a 1.5-point spread and a 23.5 implied team total point to a competitive, two-way passing game rather than a run-out-the-clock blowout in either direction.
  • The one sourced line describes a Giants 'big slot' plan and doesn't square with this matchup, so it's unverified noise — the call rests on the snap/target profile, not that report.

Latest on Likely

Scheme

With only five wide receivers on the projected depth chart, the Giants plan to deploy tight end Isaiah Likely as a 'big slot receiver' to offset a possible shortage if Malik Nabers isn't fully ready for Week 1.

Sports Illustrated (Giants On SI) · Sep 2, 2026

Why Trey McBride

Start

TE1 and offensive focal point. Elite target-volume receiving tight end with YAC power and All-Pro caliber production.

Start — every-week TE start at consensus TE1: 17.0 implied team total caps the ceiling, 27% target share in 2025.

  • McBride’s focal-point role protects him from the low-scoring environment that otherwise limits Arizona’s passing ceiling.
  • His advantage is structural, not matchup-dependent: losing volume would require a major change to his normal offensive role.

Latest on McBride

McBride, Wingard bury college grudge as safety joins Cardinals

With college feud behind them, the Cardinals' No. 1 tight end and veteran safety are becoming fast friends.

ESPN · Sep 5, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Head-to-head stats

MetricIsaiah LikelyTrey McBride
Projected points
Consensus rankTE14TE1
Opponent vs positionDALno ranking yetLACno ranking yet
Target share14%(2025)27%(2025)
Reception share15%(2025)30%(2025)
Implied total · spread23.5+1.517.0+11.5
Depth chartTE1TE1
Snap share59%(2025)91%(2025)

Signal breakdown

  • 9.5 vs 14.3 projected PPR pointsTrey McBride +
  • Rank 14 vs 1Trey McBride +
  • Matchup (DvP composite)even
  • Implied 23.5 vs 17.0 team pointsIsaiah Likely +
  • No injury designationseven
  • 59% vs 91% snap shareTrey McBride +

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