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Is Sam LaPorta out for the season? When is Sam LaPorta coming back? The latest Sam LaPorta injury update and fantasy football outlook heading into Week 12 of 2025.
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta had one of the best rookie seasons for a tight end in history in 2023.
While he has remained extremely productive, he has not quite returned to those same heights in his sophomore season, nor so far this year.
A back injury caused LaPorta to miss Week 11, a 9-16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and fantasy managers are wondering when he'll be back. Let's find out.
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Is Sam LaPorta Out for the 2025 Season?
LaPorta missed practice heading into Week 11 with a back injury. Before the game, he was ruled out and placed on the injured reserve. Having missed the game against the Eagles, LaPorta only need to sit for three more weeks before he is eligible to return in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Rams.
But will LaPorta be available then? “I’m hopeful, but I really don’t know," Lions coach Dan Campbell said, as quoted by Detroit Free Press reporter Dave Birkett. "We're really just taking this day to day, week to week," Campbell added.
LaPorta has only missed one game in his career, a Week 11 contest in 2024 in which the Lions won 52-6 over the Jacksonville Jaguars. In that game, Detroit WR Jameson Williams went off for four catches for 124 yards and a touchdown.
In Week 12, the Lions face a struggling New York Giants team with a bottom-dwelling defense. The Lions are 10.5-point favorites, and the betting markets expect them to score 30.5 points. Without LaPorta in the mix, the Lions' other weapons, like Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Isaac TeSlaa, could see more volume in the passing game. Brock Wright steps into the TE1 role.
LaPorta might return in time for the fantasy football playoffs, but even that is not guaranteed.
Sam LaPorta 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook
Since finishing as the TE1 in his rookie season, LaPorta has not finished a season as a top-five fantasy tight end. He came just short last season, finishing as the TE6, and he was the TE8 this year before getting injured.
He hasn't regressed as a football player. His PFF grade has remained above 70 in each of his seasons. In fact, his 82.0 offensive grade and his 83.2 receiving grade this year are both career highs. He has his highest yards per route run (2.00) and his fewest drops (0) this season.
The problem from a fantasy standpoint is simply that the Lions have so many offensive weapons. Receiver Williams, who was drafted No. 12 overall in 2022, only began to establish a high-volume role in the Lions' offense in 2023. Jahmyr Gibbs also had a bigger season in 2024, and the Lions became a more run-heavy team, dampening down the total passing volume.
If LaPorta can return, he'll face the L.A. Rams in Week 15, the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16, and the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17. The Rams rank in the middle of the pack in terms of passing yards allowed, and the Vikings are a top-ten passing defense, but the Steelers are a great playoff matchup.
The Steelers have allowed the most passing yards, an average of 261.7 yards through the air per game. They allow the eighth-most points to opposing fantasy TEs.
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 12 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Wan'Dale Robinson, Parker Washington, Jordan Addison, Sean Tucker, Kyle Monangai. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 12. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 12 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
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Popular Week 12 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 12 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 12 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 12 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Wan'Dale Robinson, Parker Washington, Jordan Addison, Sean Tucker, Kyle Monangai compared to others:
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