In 2023, Sam LaPorta broke all the rules: he was a rookie tight end who gave us borderline elite fantasy football production. He caught 86 balls for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns, establishing himself as one of the leaders of a tight end Golden Era that we have happened upon over the past few seasons.
There was some natural regression in 2024 and then coaching changes on top of an injury in 2025 that made Year 3 a lost one for his fantasy football managers. What should you be expecting from Detroit’s 25-year-old this year?
Should You Draft Sam LaPorta in Fantasy Football?
A full herniated disc in his back in Week 10 required surgery and put a sudden halt to a season that was seemingly heading in the right direction after a slow start.
- First four games: 8.4 PPG
- Last five games: 14.6 PPG
Even with the promise shown after the first month, LaPorta has been labeled a disappointment after that standout rookie campaign (10 TDs in his last 25 games). Natural variance is certainly a part of the math, but that naturally gets overlooked when a significant change in environment occurs and the numbers/consistency tank.
Do I think that LaPorta’s best days left town with Johnson ahead of the 2025 season?
- 8+ PPR points in 72.7% of his games with Johnson
- 22.2% red zone target rate under Johnson
I don’t. His usage was a little different (most glaring being a red zone target rate that was nearly chopped in half from where it stood prior), but Detroit was a top-6 offense in scoring and EPA, establishing themselves as a force, even post-Johnson.
LaPorta is just 25 years of age and is coming off of his best season in terms of PPR points per target. The efficiency made the dip in downfield usage palatable and now it’s a matter of earning more volume in this system.
That doesn’t sound like an outrageous ask for a player who caught 21 of 27 targets in three playoff games as a rookie, does it? I’ve got him at the low-end of Tier 2 at the position (behind the Tyler Warren’s and Tucker Kraft’s of the world), but he’s a locked-and-loaded starter in all formats who could easily finish this tier closer to TE3 than TE10.
LaPorta’s Dynasty Fantasy Football Value
At face value, LaPorta seems like a great dynasty option. His peak is in front of him and the offense is a stable one that should put him in position to thrive on a consistent basis.
None of that is wrong, but some luster does come off of his profile by nature of the trajectory of the position. There are seven TEs who I have him tiered with or behind for this upcoming season and they all are younger than him.
This creates an interesting situation when it comes to pricing LaPorta. I’m not interested in reaching to acquire his services, even with my confidence in the player/situation, but there’s a good chance that he provides value as the final member of Tier 2 and that gives you a chance to pick up some nice value.
Simply put, I like having a Tier 2 tight end on my dynasty roster. If LaPorta proves to be the best value, great. If the draft room decides it’s Kyle Pitts or Tucker Kraft, I’d have no problem going that direction instead.
A healthy LaPorta is a productive one. At this moment, we need proof of health and some positive signs in an offense that is now being headed by Drew Petzing (the OC who played a piece in the Trey McBride fantasy bonanza).
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.