Sam LaPorta: Still Great, Just Not Inevitable

Sam LaPorta is poised to deliver his third straight top-seven tight end finish, as long as the risks are managed.

David Zacharias's Sam LaPorta: Still Great, Just Not Inevitable David Zacharias Published 07/08/2025

© Junfu Han | 2024 Jan 21  Sam LaPorta

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.

  1. He is young, proven, and healthy.
  2. The new play-caller is not changing much.
  3. Jared Goff brings stability.
  4. 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.

RankNameAgeRecRecYdRecTDFP/GFantPt
1Brock Bowers LV221121194515.5262.7
2Trey McBride ARI251111146215.6249.8
3George Kittle SF31781106815.8236.6
4Jonnu Smith MIA2988884813.2224.3
5Travis Kelce KC3597823312.3197.4
6Mark Andrews BAL29556731111.1188.8
7Sam LaPorta DET2360726710.9174.6
8Zach Ertz WAS3466654710.2173.4
9Pat Freiermuth PIT2665653710.1172.3
10Tucker Kraft GB245070779.6163.3
11Hunter Henry NE306667429.1145.4
12David Njoku CLE2864505513.1144.5
13Mike Gesicki CIN296566528.4143.5
14Cade Otton TB2559600410.2142.6
15Kyle Pitts ATL244760247.7131.2
16Isaiah Likely BAL244247767.9125.7
17Juwan Johnson NO285054837.2122.8
18Tyler Conklin NYJ295144947.5119.9
19Cole Kmet CHI254747447118.4
20Dalton Schultz HOU285353227118.2
21Chig Okonkwo TEN255247926.7113.6
22Noah Gray KC254043756.7113.3
23Austin Hooper NE304547636.5110.6
24Will Dissly LAC285048127.3110.1
25Jake Ferguson DAL255949407.7108.4
26Taysom Hill NO3423187013104.3
27Noah Fant SEA274850017.4104.0
28Dallas Goedert PHI2942496210.4103.6
29Foster Moreau NO273241356.1103.3
30Dalton Kincaid BUF254444827.8100.8

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.

RankNameAgeRecRecYdRecTDFantPt
1Trey McBride ARI2538365286.5
2Jonnu Smith MIA2930236477.6
3Sam LaPorta DET2329335274.5
4George Kittle SF3128457073.7
5Brock Bowers LV2228310165.2
6Pat Freiermuth PIT2624231365.1
7Mark Andrews BAL2912183454.4
8Juwan Johnson NO2820235149.5
9Mike Gesicki CIN2926229048.9
10Zach Ertz WAS3414153347.3
11Travis Kelce KC3522186146.6
12Tyler Conklin NYJ2918165246.5
13Foster Moreau NO2715190246.0
14Chig Okonkwo TEN2525190045.7
15Noah Fant SEA2718189142.9
16Tucker Kraft GB2414227142.9
17Jordan Akins CLE3217161139.1
18T.J. Hockenson MIN2718201038.1

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.

StatisticTotalPer GameNFL Rank
Points56433.21st
Passing Yards4404259.12nd
Rushing Yards167298.46th
Total Yards6962409.52nd
Rushing + Passing TDs6841st

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.

Ways Things Can Go Wrong

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