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.
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 |
| TDs | 0.2 | 0.6 |
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.
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