Sam LaPorta, your time is now.
A second-round pick by the Lions in April’s draft, LaPorta entered camp with a fair bit of fantasy hype. That hype has only gotten louder as camp has gone with everyone from Peter King to Colton Pouncy writing that LaPorta looks like the real deal. Now he’ll get his first chance to make an impact in the NFL in the season-opener between the Lions and Chiefs.
Fantasy Football analysis: Lions TE Sam LaPorta
While LaPorta didn’t play at all in the preseason, he’s coming off a college season where he tallied 657 yards on 57 catches and was named the Kwalick–Clark Tight End of the Year. Last year the Lions had the eighth-best passing offense in the NFL, and had 784 receiving yards from its tight ends, 395 of which came from TJ Hockenson before was traded to the Vikings.
Start or sit in Week 1 PPR leagues?
LaPorta’s a must-start. The Chiefs' defense was middle-of-the-pack last season (14th-ranked passing defense, 3,756 yards allowed), while Lions starter Jared Goff finished last season on a tear. LaPorta is a big-bodied target who appears to be clicking with the team’s first-team offense and should get plenty of targets against the Chiefs.
The only scenario where benching LaPorta makes sense is if you have a bonafide tight end/wide receiver ahead of him in your tight end/flex position. Otherwise, he’s worth a starting spot in what should be a high-scoring primetime game.
Start or sit in Week 1 standard leagues?
Start. The same logic applies to him in standard leagues. While there’s a little more boom-or-bust potential without the PPR aspect, his potential as a player is too much to pass up in this instance.
Player(s) to start ahead of Sam Laporta
At this point, I think the only tight ends who have earned a start above LaPorta are the big names like Travis Kelce, TJ Hockenson, Mark Andrews, Darren Waller and George Kittle.
All reports out of Detroit make it seem like LaPorta is set to become a star in Detroit’s offense. The Chiefs' defense isn’t great, so the first-year tight end should get plenty of good opportunities against them.