George Kittle or Sam LaPorta: Who Should You Start?

The call

• Kittle carries a TE7 consensus rank and 8.4 projected PPR points, which is a starting line at a position where replacement options are droppable.
• Usage is elite for the spot: 81% snap share and a 19% target share over 11 games, meaning he's a true focal point of the passing game, not a rotational blocker.
• The matchup is a non-factor — LAR grades 17 of 32 in DvP composite off a 0-game sample with 0.00 confidence — and a 22.8 implied total with a 3.0 spread points to a competitive script that keeps the ball in the air.
• One real risk: the sheet lists him as PUP-P with the normalized status unknown. Confirm he's activated and on the field before locking him in; if he's not cleared, this flips to a hard sit.

The call

• LaPorta is the locked-in every-down tight end: 91% snap share and a 17% target share over nine games, which is elite volume at a thin position.
• Detroit's 27.8 implied total as a 7-point favorite means plenty of red-zone and scoring chances, and LaPorta is a primary target in that offense.
• The New Orleans matchup is neutral at 13 of 32 on the DvP composite, but that's a 0-game sample with zero confidence — role and team total drive this call, not matchup.
• Only real risk is the questionable designation; if he's limited or inactive you need a pivot, so confirm status before lineups lock.