Detroit Lions TE Sam LaPorta came into the league with modest expectations. He blew them all out of the water with a historic rookie season. Already a locked-in TE in fantasy football, is LaPorta worth his lofty price tag in 2024 Best Ball drafts?
Sam LaPorta’s 2024 Fantasy Outlook
The history of rookie tight end production in the NFL is not great. Only a handful of first-year tight ends have even been relevant fantasy assets. It makes what LaPorta was able to do for his NFL debut so incredibly impressive.
#Lions TE Sam LaPorta has officially broken the #NFL record for receptions by a rookie! 🔥
Keith Jackson recorded 81 catches in 1988.#OnePride
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) January 7, 2024
The tight end position is considered the most difficult one to transition from college to the pros. It typically takes even the best of the best a couple of years before they come into their own.
Yet, LaPorta was able to average 14.1 fantasy points per game last year. It’s the single greatest season by a rookie tight end in the history of the NFL.
LaPorta caught 86 passes for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns. At 6’3″ and 245 pounds, LaPorta is going to remain a top end-zone target for QB Jared Goff for years to come.
Touchdowns are everything in fantasy football, and LaPorta should score a whole lot of them. That gives fantasy managers reason to believe the double-digit touchdown total is repeatable.
The TE saw an excellent 21.1% target share. He was targeted on 24% of his routes run, fifth amongst tight ends. LaPorta’s 1.78 yards per route run was sixth in the league, but he only averaged 7.4 yards per target, 18th in the league. That means there’s plenty of room to grow.
As great as LaPorta was last season, he’s very clearly nowhere near as good as he will be down the line.
With natural progression in his sophomore season, LaPorta definitely possesses 16 points per game upside, which would put him on par with low-end WR1s.
Should You Draft LaPorta in 2024 Best Ball Leagues?
The Lions lack a true WR2 behind Amon-Ra St. Brown. They could, in theory, add a big-time threat for that WR2 role, but I don’t envision that happening. Best Ball drafters should operate under the assumption that it will remain LaPorta.
As a team, the Lions may not reach the heights they did last season, coming ever so close to making the Super Bowl. However, their offense can still continue to get better.
I am a huge fan of LaPorta. At the same time, everything in fantasy football is a value proposition. We know LaPorta is prone to some big weeks, which makes him more appealing in Best Ball.
KEEP READING: Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Value Chart
However, a third-round price tag is pretty expensive for a tight end. As great as LaPorta is, I don’t believe he should be going 25 spots ahead of Baltimore Ravens TE Mark Andrews.
If LaPorta falls below his ADP, of course, go ahead and draft him. You won’t be disappointed having him on your team. But from a pure cost/benefit standpoint, I am likely passing on LaPorta at his current price tag.
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