Banking on Another Strong Season
Sam LaPorta isn't likely to match his explosive rookie season, but he remains one of the safest bets at a volatile position. With a full-time role, proven red-zone ability, and a strong connection with Jared Goff, LaPorta still projects as a reliable TE1. Detroit's offense is undergoing subtle but meaningful changes, including a new play-caller, a breakout candidate in Jameson Williams, and the return of a healthy David Montgomery. These factors may limit LaPorta's weekly ceiling, but his volume and talent keep him comfortably above the streaming tier.
RELATED: See all of our 2025 Player Spotlights here.
Impressive Early Success
The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Iowa product wasted no time making an impact. Sam LaPorta finished as the No. 1 fantasy tight end in PPR scoring during his rookie season, a rare feat at one of the toughest positions for first-year players to master. He was third in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, named to the Pro Football Writers of America's All-Rookie Team, earned second-team All-Pro honors, and made the Pro Bowl.
LaPorta fell back to earth in 2024, but not by much. Despite a dip in production, he still delivered a top-10 fantasy season on a per-game basis. And when you zoom out, the big picture is hard to ignore. A holistic look at his first two seasons places him on a historically rare trajectory.
He has the most catches (146), second-most receiving touchdowns (17), and fifth-most receiving yards (1,615) by a tight end through the first two regular seasons in NFL history. He is also the first tight end to post at least 725 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in each of his first two years.
Reasons to be Optimistic about 2025
There are plenty of reasons to believe Sam LaPorta will remain a reliable fantasy starter in 2025, even if he does not recapture the peak of his rookie season. The circumstances around him, his talent, role, quarterback, and environment continue to support consistent production.
- He is young, proven, and healthy.
- The new play-caller is not changing much.
- Jared Goff brings stability.
- The offensive line remains a strength.
Proven, Young, and Healthy
LaPorta enters his third season as one of the league's most established young tight ends. Among the top 30 PPR tight ends in 2024, only Brock Bowers was younger.
| Rank | Name | Age | Rec | RecYd | RecTD | FP/G | FantPt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brock Bowers LV | 22 | 112 | 1194 | 5 | 15.5 | 262.7 |
| 2 | Trey McBride ARI | 25 | 111 | 1146 | 2 | 15.6 | 249.8 |
| 3 | George Kittle SF | 31 | 78 | 1106 | 8 | 15.8 | 236.6 |
| 4 | Jonnu Smith MIA | 29 | 88 | 884 | 8 | 13.2 | 224.3 |
| 5 | Travis Kelce KC | 35 | 97 | 823 | 3 | 12.3 | 197.4 |
| 6 | Mark Andrews BAL | 29 | 55 | 673 | 11 | 11.1 | 188.8 |
| 7 | Sam LaPorta DET | 23 | 60 | 726 | 7 | 10.9 | 174.6 |
| 8 | Zach Ertz WAS | 34 | 66 | 654 | 7 | 10.2 | 173.4 |
| 9 | Pat Freiermuth PIT | 26 | 65 | 653 | 7 | 10.1 | 172.3 |
| 10 | Tucker Kraft GB | 24 | 50 | 707 | 7 | 9.6 | 163.3 |
| 11 | Hunter Henry NE | 30 | 66 | 674 | 2 | 9.1 | 145.4 |
| 12 | David Njoku CLE | 28 | 64 | 505 | 5 | 13.1 | 144.5 |
| 13 | Mike Gesicki CIN | 29 | 65 | 665 | 2 | 8.4 | 143.5 |
| 14 | Cade Otton TB | 25 | 59 | 600 | 4 | 10.2 | 142.6 |
| 15 | Kyle Pitts ATL | 24 | 47 | 602 | 4 | 7.7 | 131.2 |
| 16 | Isaiah Likely BAL | 24 | 42 | 477 | 6 | 7.9 | 125.7 |
| 17 | Juwan Johnson NO | 28 | 50 | 548 | 3 | 7.2 | 122.8 |
| 18 | Tyler Conklin NYJ | 29 | 51 | 449 | 4 | 7.5 | 119.9 |
| 19 | Cole Kmet CHI | 25 | 47 | 474 | 4 | 7 | 118.4 |
| 20 | Dalton Schultz HOU | 28 | 53 | 532 | 2 | 7 | 118.2 |
| 21 | Chig Okonkwo TEN | 25 | 52 | 479 | 2 | 6.7 | 113.6 |
| 22 | Noah Gray KC | 25 | 40 | 437 | 5 | 6.7 | 113.3 |
| 23 | Austin Hooper NE | 30 | 45 | 476 | 3 | 6.5 | 110.6 |
| 24 | Will Dissly LAC | 28 | 50 | 481 | 2 | 7.3 | 110.1 |
| 25 | Jake Ferguson DAL | 25 | 59 | 494 | 0 | 7.7 | 108.4 |
| 26 | Taysom Hill NO | 34 | 23 | 187 | 0 | 13 | 104.3 |
| 27 | Noah Fant SEA | 27 | 48 | 500 | 1 | 7.4 | 104.0 |
| 28 | Dallas Goedert PHI | 29 | 42 | 496 | 2 | 10.4 | 103.6 |
| 29 | Foster Moreau NO | 27 | 32 | 413 | 5 | 6.1 | 103.3 |
| 30 | Dalton Kincaid BUF | 25 | 44 | 448 | 2 | 7.8 | 100.8 |
Despite sustaining a left shoulder sprain in Week 11, LaPorta surged down the stretch. Over Detroit's final five regular-season games, which included the fantasy playoffs, he recorded 29 receptions for 335 yards and two touchdowns. He ranked as the No. 3 tight end in PPR scoring during that span with 74.5 fantasy points. That total nearly doubled the output of former Lion T.J. Hockenson, who finished at No. 18 with 38.1 points.
| Rank | Name | Age | Rec | RecYd | RecTD | FantPt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trey McBride ARI | 25 | 38 | 365 | 2 | 86.5 |
| 2 | Jonnu Smith MIA | 29 | 30 | 236 | 4 | 77.6 |
| 3 | Sam LaPorta DET | 23 | 29 | 335 | 2 | 74.5 |
| 4 | George Kittle SF | 31 | 28 | 457 | 0 | 73.7 |
| 5 | Brock Bowers LV | 22 | 28 | 310 | 1 | 65.2 |
| 6 | Pat Freiermuth PIT | 26 | 24 | 231 | 3 | 65.1 |
| 7 | Mark Andrews BAL | 29 | 12 | 183 | 4 | 54.4 |
| 8 | Juwan Johnson NO | 28 | 20 | 235 | 1 | 49.5 |
| 9 | Mike Gesicki CIN | 29 | 26 | 229 | 0 | 48.9 |
| 10 | Zach Ertz WAS | 34 | 14 | 153 | 3 | 47.3 |
| 11 | Travis Kelce KC | 35 | 22 | 186 | 1 | 46.6 |
| 12 | Tyler Conklin NYJ | 29 | 18 | 165 | 2 | 46.5 |
| 13 | Foster Moreau NO | 27 | 15 | 190 | 2 | 46.0 |
| 14 | Chig Okonkwo TEN | 25 | 25 | 190 | 0 | 45.7 |
| 15 | Noah Fant SEA | 27 | 18 | 189 | 1 | 42.9 |
| 16 | Tucker Kraft GB | 24 | 14 | 227 | 1 | 42.9 |
| 17 | Jordan Akins CLE | 32 | 17 | 161 | 1 | 39.1 |
| 18 | T.J. Hockenson MIN | 27 | 18 | 201 | 0 | 38.1 |
LaPorta also enters 2025 fully healthy, with no lingering injuries or offseason surgeries.
New Coordinator Promises Continuity
The coaching staff has changed, but the offensive identity is not expected to. John Morton takes over as offensive coordinator following Ben Johnson's departure to coach the Chicago Bears. Morton has explicitly said he plans to maintain the existing structure. "I'm not changing much," he said. "I mean, why?"
That mindset should inspire confidence because Detroit had one of the NFL's best offenses last year.
| Statistic | Total | Per Game | NFL Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 564 | 33.2 | 1st |
| Passing Yards | 4404 | 259.1 | 2nd |
| Rushing Yards | 1672 | 98.4 | 6th |
| Total Yards | 6962 | 409.5 | 2nd |
| Rushing + Passing TDs | 68 | 4 | 1st |
Goff Offers High Floor Stability
Goff enters his fifth season in Detroit, firmly entrenched as the team's leader and operating at the peak of his career. His comfort in the system and command of the offense were critical to the unit's success in 2024, and he now plays a key role in helping transition from Ben Johnson to John Morton. For LaPorta, that means continuity not just in scheme but in execution, timing, and trust.
The Offensive Line Remains a Strength
Even with Frank Ragnow retiring after seven seasons, Detroit's offensive line is still one of the league's best. Footballguy Matt Bitonti dropped the unit slightly in his rankings following the news but still ranks them No. 4 overall. Rookie second-round pick Tate Ratledge is projected to step in at center, flanked by Graham Glasgow at right guard and Christian Mahogany on the left. Tackles Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell round out a unit with top-tier talent and continuity. This group continues to give Detroit one of the most stable and effective blocking fronts in the league.
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