Sam LaPorta: Start or Sit?
TE1 and pass-catching mismatch. Reliable seam and intermediate target when healthy.
This week’s verdict
TE6 with a 91% snap share and 17% target share on a 27.8-point implied total — if LaPorta clears his questionable tag, he's an easy TE1 play.
- Carries a Questionable tag — usually plays, but monitor the final report.
- NO ranks 13 of 32 against TEs (a middle-of-the-road matchup, 0-game sample).
- Vegas implies 27.8 team points as 7.0-point favorites.
- Listed TE on the latest depth chart with a 91% snap share in 2025.
The call
- Role is locked in: 91% snap share and a 17% target share over nine games is TE1 volume, and the consensus TE6 rank with 11.0 projected points backs it up.
- Detroit carries a 27.8 implied total as a 7-point favorite — plenty of scoring chances, and LaPorta is a red-zone factor in that offense rather than a garbage-time-dependent piece.
- The DvP composite of 13 of 32 reads slightly tough, but it comes off a 0-game sample with 0.00 confidence, so it shouldn't move the needle.
- Only real risk is the questionable designation — confirm he's active pregame and have a bench TE warm, otherwise he's in the lineup.
Verdicts based on PPR scoring.
Latest on LaPorta
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.
Verdict history
| Week | Verdict | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Week 1 | Start· medium | TE6 with a 91% snap share and 17% target share on a 27.8-point implied total — if LaPorta clears his questionable tag, he's an easy TE1 play. |
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