Sam LaPorta put together one of the better fantasy football seasons for a rookie tight end in recent memory (2023: 86 catches for 889 yards and 10 scores). Still, his counting numbers took a step back last season (60 grabs for 726 yards and seven touchdowns) while other young guns at the position thrived.
Should we be considering this member of the potent Lions a locked-in fantasy ace worthy of high priority on draft day, or is he more of a “if he falls into my lap” type of tight end that you’re not planning around as much as landing on in the right situation?
Sam LaPorta Fantasy Outlook
If there’s a profile I’m most worried about in this post Ben Johnson era, it’s LaPorta’s. Not that he isn’t a well-above-average player or capable of maximizing his looks, but his trajectory is far from bulletproof.
Last season, on a per-target basis, he was better in terms of fantasy points and EPA than his outstanding introduction to the NFL. Johnson’s creativity and the advantageous situations he put Jared Goff in resulted in a receiving corps that was profitable for fantasy managers.
Not sure why this was the case … but Sam LaPorta had drastic splits between his first 9 and final 8 games last year:
First 9
* 3.6 targets
* 2.8 catches
* 41 yards
* TE14 in PPG
* TE21 in expected PPGFinal 8
* 7.3 targets
* 5.1 catches
* 51 yards
* TE5 in PPG
* TE6 in…— Jared Smola (@SmolaDS) June 19, 2025
The worry?
LaPorta’s on-field target share fell by five full percentage points in 2024, and if we are penciling in at least some regression from this offense, that reliance on efficiency is scary. This running game will continue to be as good as it gets, and Jameson Williams will continue to develop. If we take those as facts, LaPorta’s production last season (45 yards per game with a touchdown every 2-3 weeks) might be more of a best-case scenario than a blip on the radar.
For the record, LaPorta was more productive than you want to remember last season. He finished as PPR TE8 and had five finishes as TE8 or better. The problem isn’t what he’s going to give you. It’s the adjusting of expectations.
This time last year, we believed he could take the torch from Travis Kelce and be a true difference maker at a position that can be tough to fill. We no longer hold him to those expectations, with Brock Bowers/Trey McBride establishing themselves as the clear-cut top tier. As long as your projections are measured, he’s a fine pick in the middle third of your draft.
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I believe in elevating your weekly upside by getting exposure to the best offenses in the game (Detroit posted the third-best Offense+ season in the past six years in 2024), and LaPorta is a straightforward way to do that. I’m not reaching for him. If he comes off the board before I’m ready to address the tight end position, that’s fine because he has teammates being drafted in the same general range, and the TE pool is a bit deeper this year than in the past.
There’s risk in this profile, but as long as you believe this offense will continue to be among the best in the NFL, LaPorta has little competition at the position and is a fine pick at cost.
Frank Ammirante’s Sam LaPorta Projection
Sam LaPorta is another one of my favorite tight end targets. This third-year player had 86 catches, 889 yards, and 10 touchdowns as a rookie and finished as TE1 that season.
The reason for the down year in 2024 can be chalked up to an ankle injury that LaPorta played through in the early part of the season. In his final six games, LaPorta caught 35-of-46 targets for 386 yards and three touchdowns. Now fully healthy, I expect LaPorta to get back on track in a bounce-back season.
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One encouraging factor in LaPorta’s outlook is the Lions’ much tougher schedule. This includes games against the Ravens, Chiefs, Rams, and Bengals, in addition to facing tough divisions like the NFC East and their own NFC North. More difficult opponents mean an increase in Detroit’s passing volume, which could result in an uptick in targets for LaPorta.
Given that he plays for such a high-powered offense, 10-plus touchdowns are firmly within reach. With that in mind, don’t hesitate to make LaPorta one of your main priorities at tight end.
