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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 13 of 2025.
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta was a consistent and important part of the Lions' passing game, but he was placed on IR before Week 11's matchup against the Eagles.
While he will be eligible to come off IR before the end of the regular season, reports about his injury make that seem unlikely. Will the team's top tight end return to the field this season and carry any fantasy value?
Will LaPorta play again this season? Should fantasy managers stash him on their bench? Let's dive in!
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Is Sam LaPorta Out for the 2025 Season?
LaPorta's injury came as a little bit of a surprise to fantasy managers since it wasn't clear exactly when the back injury happened. He played Week 10 as normal and then missed practice during the week of preparation for his team's matchup with the Eagles.
He landed on IR the Saturday before that matchup and ultimately needed surgery on his back, according to coach Dan Campbell. While Campbell said the procedure went really well long-term, he also said that the chances of him returning this season were "very, very slim."
Initially, Campbell was more optimistic about getting LaPorta back this season, but the prognosis changed as more testing was done, and he ultimately needed the surgery that most likely ended his season. Details about the injury and the procedure are still not very clear, but it seems set that he won't be playing the rest of the season.
Coach Campbell with an update on Sam LaPorta pic.twitter.com/f1mmlmivkq
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) November 21, 2025
Sam LaPorta 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook
At this point, LaPorta does not need to be held in any re-draft formats, since he's almost certainly done for the year. Given how unlikely he is to return, many IR-eligible players hold higher short-term upside and have a better chance of getting back on the field.
If he is done for the year, LaPorta finishes 2025 with 40 catches on 49 targets. He was on pace for a career-high 923 receiving yards before the injury, and finished with 489 receiving yards and three touchdowns. After his huge rookie year, he was inconsistent in 2024, but he had returned to being a reliable starting option in 2025 before the injury. He'll be a high-end TE1 in 2026 as long as his recovery from the procedure goes according to plan.
Without LaPorta, Brock Wright takes over as the team's primary tight end. Wright played 83% and 88% of the team's snaps in the two games since LaPorta's injury, totaling 11 targets and hauling in five catches for 37 yards. Without LaPorta, the team also seems to be ready to go with three receivers more often, possibly getting Kalif Raymond and Isaac TeSlaa more involved.
Brock Wright Becoming a TE Streaming Option in Lead Role? https://t.co/OFLNbftrGs
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) November 20, 2025
Heading into the Thanksgiving game, Wright is also dealing with a neck injury, which could leave Ross Dwelley as the team's top option against the Packers. Stay tuned for updates on Wright if you plan on using him this week.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 13 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Devin Neal, Emanuel Wilson, Troy Franklin, Sean Tucker, Wan'Dale Robinson, Alec Pierce, Josh Downs. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 13. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 13 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.
Week 13 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Devin Neal, Emanuel Wilson, Troy Franklin, Sean Tucker, Wan'Dale Robinson, Alec Pierce, Josh Downs. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 13.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool, but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, player news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 13 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 13 (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 13 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 13 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Devin Neal, Emanuel Wilson, Troy Franklin, Sean Tucker, Wan'Dale Robinson, Alec Pierce, Josh Downs compared to others:
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