Sam LaPorta Fantasy Stats

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (back) was a partial participant on the first day of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, and head coach Dan Campbell said he could be cleared for the start of training camp in late July, according to Dave Birkett of The Detroit Free Press. "We like where he's going," Campbell said. "He's trending the right way." A herniated disc in his back limited the 25-year-old to just nine games in 2025, and he underwent surgery in November. LaPorta didn't take part in full-speed team drills in earlier offseason workouts this spring, but he's getting close to being a full-go for training camp this summer. The former second-round pick (34th overall) in 2023 out of the University of Iowa burst onto the scene in his rookie campaign and led all tight ends with 86 catches on 120 targets for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns in 17 games. He took a slight step back in Year 2 with a 60-726-7 line in 16 starts before catching just 40 passes for 489 yards and three scores last year. The offensive situation in Detroit hasn't changed much since LaPorta's strong rookie season, and with his price coming down after his injury in 2025, LaPorta is a potential TE1 value play in fantasy drafts as an obvious bounce-back candidate if he stays healthy. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 9 fantasy TE for 2026.

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (back) looked good and was moving around well at OTA practice on Thursday after he sat out of the first open practice last week, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. It's a good sign for LaPorta, who is coming off back surgery to fix a herniated disc that forced him to miss the final eight games of the 2025 season. The 25-year-old former second-rounder in 2023 out of the University of Iowa was the No. 1 fantasy TE in his rookie year, catching 86 passes for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns on 120 targets in 17 regular-season games. LaPorta took a slight step back in 2024 with a 60-726-7 line in 16 starts, before catching just 40 passes for 489 yards and three scores a year ago in nine starts. It won't cost nearly as much to secure LaPorta's services in fantasy as a low-end TE1 after his injury in 2025, and with the situation not much different in Detroit than in his first two years, there is clear bounce-back potential in his fourth year in the NFL if he can stay healthy. LaPorta is ranked as RotoBaller's No. 9 TE for the 2026 campaign.

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (back) burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2023 and immediately became a high-end TE1 in fantasy, catching 86 of 120 targets for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns in 17 regular-season games to finish as the overall TE1 in half-PPR scoring. Unfortunately, the 25-year-old former second-rounder (34th overall) out of Iowa took a step back in 2024 (60-726-7 line as the TE7 overall), and he played in a career-low nine games in 2025 due to a disc injury in his back that required surgery. Despite the lost year last season, LaPorta had a career-high 54.3 yards per game and 12.2 yards per catch before being shut down for the year. He also had an 81.6% catch rate on 49 targets in nine games. It's obvious that LaPorta's dynasty stock is down coming off back surgery, and although he's in Detroit's high-powered offense, there are still plenty of mouths to feed. LaPorta is expected to be healthy for training camp and the start of the 2026 regular season. With 20 touchdowns in three seasons in a high-scoring offense, savvy fantasy managers should look to buy low on LaPorta now that his value is at an all-time low. At RotoBaller, he's still ranked as the TE6 in dynasty formats.

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (back) is working on returning from an injury that sidelined him for the final eight games of the 2025 season. Because of the injury, he finished as the TE27 in PPR leagues, catching a modest 40 passes for 489 yards and just three touchdowns. LaPorta wasn't a major touchdown threat last year, but he was on pace to set a new career-high in receiving yards before the injury. Together, he and Amon-Ra St. Brown stepped up as highly dependable targets for quarterback Jared Goff. While this is a crowded offense, the Lions have shown that they can make it work. Goff is capable of supporting big years from all of LaPorta, St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Jahmyr Gibbs. As a result, as long as he's healthy in 2026, we expect a big bounce-back year from LaPorta. He's the TE6 in RotoBaller's latest dynasty fantasy football rankings, and dynasty managers can get him at a discount because he's coming off an injury.

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (back) missed the second half of the 2025 season due to a herniated disc, giving managers a prime opportunity to buy low in dynasty leagues this offseason. The 25-year-old was averaging 11.8 fantasy points per game when healthy, contributing 40 catches for 489 yards and three touchdowns through nine weeks. He has finished each of his three NFL seasons with at least 10.9 fantasy points per game, offering consistency as a mid-range TE1 in fantasy football. However, LaPorta's back injury has skewed his price tag in dynasty leagues, where he's being priced as more of a low-end TE1 in trade talks. For tight end-needy dynasty managers, this is the perfect opportunity to buy low on LaPorta and get a weekly contributor. Not only has he been productive in the past, but he'll continue to operate in a Lions offense that should be good for a long time. Jared Goff has shown that he can support big fantasy outputs from Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and LaPorta all at once. The Iowa product remains a productive weapon in a successful offense. He's one of the most intriguing buy-low options at the tight end position in dynasty leagues this offseason.

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta entered the league with a bang, finishing his 2023 rookie season as the TE1 and working his way to the top of most dynasty value charts. After a disappointing sophomore season and a 2025 campaign ended by a back injury after only nine games, his value sits as low as it has since he's taken a snap in the NFL. The Lions have made a change to their coaching staff for 2026, bringing Drew Petzing in from Arizona to serve as their new offensive coordinator. While the target competition in Detroit is much stiffer than what Petzing left behind in the desert, his tight end-friendly system was a not-insubstantial factor in Trey McBride's breakout, spraying his dominant fourth-year player with 302 targets over the past two seasons, including 163 for a record-breaking TE1 finish in 2025. LaPorta has already proven his ability to feast off a high-volume attack, and with his value still suppressed by injury, he's a high-upside buy-low candidate heading into his fourth season.

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (back) missed the final eight weeks of the 2025 regular season, and when he returns in 2026, he'll find himself in a new-look offense. The strong supporting cast remains in place (minus David Montgomery), but we expect to see a new offensive scheme and style of play after Detroit made a coaching staff change. The Lions hired former Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing to the same role, indicating we could see even more emphasis on the tight end position next year. Petzing helped pepper Trey McBride with targets last year; the 26-year-old was the TE2 in PPR leagues in 2024, and the TE1 last season. LaPorta is looking to return to that type of elite form. He was the TE1 himself as a rookie in 2023, but he dropped to TE8 in 2024 and TE27 in his injury-shortened 2025 campaign. When healthy last season, LaPorta averaged 4.4 catches, 54.3 yards, and 0.3 touchdowns per game. If Petzing places an emphasis on getting the tight end even more involved, he'll make a strong push to be a top-five fantasy option at the position in 2026. Because he's coming off an injury, he's an intriguing buy-low option in dynasty leagues, as well as an underpriced draft pick at his ADP in redraft formats.

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta was on a 17-game pace of 76 receptions for 924 yards and six touchdowns before a back injury prematurely ended his season. Expected to be healthy for the 2026 season, LaPorta should see heavy involvement in new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing's tight end-friendly system. With Petzing calling plays in Arizona for the past three seasons, Cardinals tight end Trey McBride has emerged as a fantasy superstar. While target competition in Detroit will be significantly stronger than McBride faced in the desert, LaPorta already has a TE1 season under his belt and is an obvious dynasty buy until his market recovers to its pre-injury form.

According to The Athletic's Colton Pouncy, blending new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing's scheme with what the Detroit Lions already do on offense could make tight end Sam LaPorta an "even bigger priority in the passing game" in 2026. Former tight ends coach and current head coach Dan Campbell already clearly values the position. Before having season-ending back surgery, LaPorta was having a Pro Bowl season, catching 40 of his 49 targets for 489 yards and three touchdowns in nine starts. Petzing spent two seasons as the tight ends coach with the Cleveland Browns, and he prioritized the TE position in Arizona, with Trey McBride being one of the best players at his position in the NFL. Petzing isn't expected to run as much 12 personnel (two TEs) in Detroit, given the investments made at the position, but LaPorta could be in for a nice bounce-back year in 2026 if he's healthy.

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (back) said earlier this week that he's entering the next stage of his rehab from back surgery, and he plans to be fully cleared before the start of training camp at the end of July, according to Richard Silva of The Detroit News. LaPorta played in only nine games in 2025 before suffering a herniated disc in his back against the Washington Commanders on Nov. 9. In addition to his rehab, the 24-year-old will be focused on trying to ink a contract extension with the Lions this offseason. LaPorta burst onto the scene in his rookie year in 2023 with 86 receptions, 889 yards, and 10 touchdowns in 17 regular-season games. He wasn't quite as good in 2024, but he still had a 60-726-7 line in 16 games. Obviously, LaPorta's production suffered in 2025 due to injury, but he'll be a prime bounce-back candidate at the TE position in 2026 for the Lions.