Start Sam LaPorta over Tony Pollard — Week 1 Start/Sit Verdict

LaPorta’s workload and Lions scoring outlook edge Pollard’s softer matchup

LaPorta is the better bet because his every-down role sits in a much stronger scoring environment, while Pollard’s slight projection edge is outweighed by the gap in consensus value. This remains close: LaPorta’s questionable tag and the Saints’ tougher tight-end matchup are meaningful drawbacks. Pollard has the better opponent profile and a legitimate lead-back path, but his lighter snap and receiving involvement make his PPR floor less dependable. Start LaPorta if active; the main risk is that his availability erases the role and game-script advantages.

What flips it: LaPorta’s questionable tag fails to clear.

AI editor

In standard and half-PPR scoring this is a coin flip.

Sam LaPorta

TE6DETvs NO

6.58.711.0 Projected Points

Start· medium

Tony Pollard

RB28TENvs NYJ

9.810.711.5 Projected Points

Toss-Up· medium

Why Sam LaPorta

Start· medium

TE1 and pass-catching mismatch. Reliable seam and intermediate target when healthy.

TE6 with a 91% snap share and 17% target share on a 27.8-point implied total — start him if the questionable tag clears.

Detroit’s high scoring expectation gives LaPorta more chances for his seam and intermediate role to pay off.
His 91% snap share supports the TE6 ranking as a stable workload, not a projection built on a fragile spike game.

The call

11.0 projected points and a TE6 consensus rank put LaPorta well above replacement at a thin position; that's a lineup lock in a 12-team PPR when he's active.
Role is bulletproof: 91% snap share and a 17% target share over nine games make him the clear pass-game centerpiece at tight end.
Detroit's 27.8 implied total as a 7-point favorite means volume and red-zone looks even if the game script tilts run-heavy late.
The only real wrinkle is the questionable designation and a New Orleans DvP that sits 13 of 32 — but that matchup grade carries a 0-game sample and 0.00 confidence, so it shouldn't move the needle. Confirm his status pregame.

Latest on LaPorta

Role

LaPorta is listed as the starting tight end on Detroit's updated offensive depth chart ahead of the regular season.

Sports Illustrated (Lions On SI) · Sep 6, 2026

Lions safeties Branch, Joseph expected to return after PUP stints

Lions starting safeties Brian Branch (Achilles) and Kerby Joseph (knee), who will both miss the first four games of the season, are expected to return at some point, according to GM Brad Holmes

ESPN · Sep 2, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Why Tony Pollard

Toss-Up· medium

RB1 and lead back. One-cut zone runner with breakaway speed and 1,000-yard workload.

RB28 with a 63% snap share and 3-point favorite script, but an 8% target share caps the PPR floor — a fringe flex, not a set-and-forget start.

Pollard’s lead-back status and breakaway ability give him a clear path to winning through efficient rushing.
The softer RB matchup helps Pollard, especially if Tennessee protects a lead, but his limited receiving role narrows his PPR routes to a ceiling game.

The call

Role is real: 63% snap share over 17 games makes him the primary back, and a -3.0 spread with a 21.3 implied total points to a healthy dose of second-half carries if Tennessee is ahead.
The receiving side is the problem — an 8% target share means his PPR floor lives and dies on rushing volume and goal-line work, which is why he lands at RB28 on 11.5 projected points.
The DvP composite of 25 of 32 reads soft, but it comes with a 0-game sample and 0.00 confidence, so there's no real matchup edge to bank on here.
Tips to start if your alternative is a bench-level committee back or a low-volume WR3; tips to sit if you have anyone with a defined passing-game role.

Head-to-head stats

Metric	Sam LaPorta	Tony Pollard
Projected points	6.58.711.0	9.810.711.5
Consensus rank	TE6	RB28
Opponent vs position	NO · 13 of 3217-game sample	NYJ · 25 of 3217-game sample
Receptions	14 of 32	8 of 32
Receiving Yards	14 of 32	21 of 32
Receiving TDs	9 of 32	—
Targets	18 of 32	—
Anytime TD	9 of 32	32 of 32
Rushing Yards	—	28 of 32
Rushing TDs	—	29 of 32
Rushing Attempts	—	30 of 32
Target share	17%(2025)	8%(2025)
Reception share	19%(2025)	10%(2025)
Implied total · spread	27.8-7.0	21.3-3.0
Depth chart	TE1	RB1
Snap share	91%(2025)	63%(2025)
Injury designation	Questionable	—
Start/Sit record	—	0–0+1 toss-up