SamLaPorta

News: 6 days agoLaPorta brought in six of seven targets for 52 yards and a touchdown in the Lions' 41-31 loss to the Bills on Thursday.

Spin: The fourth-year tight end was one of Jared Goff's primary targets Thursday, finishing tied for second in receptions while checking in third in both receiving yards and targets. LaPorta also recorded his first touchdown catch of the season on a one-yard grab early in the fourth quarter, and over the first two games of the new campaign, he's encouragingly been targeted 15 times and parlayed those opportunities into 11 receptions for 100 yards and the TD. LaPorta should remain a key complementary option during a Week 3 home matchup against the Jets on Sunday, Sept. 27.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: LaPorta has settled in as one of the league's top tight ends, but the 2023 second-round pick simply hasn't been able to match the fantasy success he enjoyed as a rookie. Since posting an 86-889-10 receiving line in 17 games that first season, LaPorta has totaled a 100-1,215-10 line in 25 games over the past two seasons. LaPorta's 2025 campaign was cut short by a back injury, otherwise he was well on his way to his third straight top-10 fantasy campaign (he finished seventh in PPG). The 25-year-old joins Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs as the clear "Core Four" targets in a good, pass-friendly Detroit offense, and is thus a solid fantasy TE1.