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FANTASY FOOTBALL NEWS

Sam LaPorta Disappoints Again

By Jared Smola | Updated on Sun, 20 Oct 2024, 9:28 PM EDT
Sam LaPorta Headshot

Lions QB Jared Goff threw for 280 yards and two TDs in the Week 7 win over the Vikings. TE Sam LaPorta accounted for just 25 of those yards. He caught one pass on two targets. Four Lions saw more targets and five caught more passes. And this was against a defense that entered the week ranked 29th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to TEs.

2024 Fantasy Football Impact

LaPorta has now finished with two or fewer catches in four of six games this season. He did that just once all last year.

Here's how his per-game numbers stack up in 2024 vs. 2023:

2024 2023
Targets 2.8 7.1
Catches 2.3 5.1
Yards 37.3 52.3
TDs0.20.6

LaPorta simply hasn't been a featured piece of this loaded Lions offense this season. And with the offense playing so well, there's no reason to expect that to change -- at least on a consistent basis.

We won't call LaPorta a must-sit going forward because there are fewer than 10 reliable TEs league-wide. But LaPorta certainly isn't a must-start at this point. Owners should look to add another TE via the waiver wire or trade to platoon with LaPorta.

If there's good news, it's the schedule. Detroit's remaining TE schedule ranks 11th easiest. It includes six more games against defenses ranked 24th or worse against TEs.

Jared Smola Author Image
Jared Smola, Lead Analyst
Jared has been with Draft Sharks since 2007. He’s now Lead Analyst, heading up the preseason and weekly projections that fuel your Draft War Room and My Team tools. He currently ranks 1st among 133 analysts in draft rankings accuracy.
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