WEEK 9 OUTLOOK
Ranking
Baller Move
TE3, Overall 41
Start in All Leagues
RECENT NEWS
Injury Status: Healthy
by Andersen Pickard
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta caught just one pass in his return from the bye week last Sunday. While LaPorta's one catch on two targets proved to be a frustrating stat line, fantasy managers should be encouraged by the fact that he played a whopping 97% of the offensive snaps. Playing time has never been an issue for the talented tight end, so we expect him to get back on track with more volume in the upcoming weeks. After all, despite the Week 6 bye and the Week 7 dud, LaPorta still ranks as the overall TE6 in PPR scoring this season. This Detroit offense has repeatedly shown that it can simultaneously support big performances from LaPorta, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Jahmyr Gibbs in fantasy football. We'll look for LaPorta to get back on track in Week 8, despite a tougher matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.
41
43
41
3
-
-
-
-
2026 STATS SNAPSHOT
| GP | TGT % | TAR/GM | REC | REC / G | REC YDS | YPC | REC TD | PTS | PTS / GM | P-RANK | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 40.6 | 6.3 | 31 | 4.4 | 367 | 11.8 | 3 | 70 | 10.1 | - | 54.9 | 7.8 | - | 85.9 | 12.3 | - | 101 | 14.5 | - | 85.9 | 12.3 | - | 70.4 | 10.1 | - |
INJURY STATUS & HISTORY
Active
as of Nov 6, 1:08pm ET
Weekly injury report
Not on the injury report this season.
Weekly injury report
| Week | Game Status | Practice | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 11 | Out | Did not practice | Back |
Weekly injury report
| Week | Game Status | Practice | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 11 | Out | Did not practice | Shoulder |
Weekly injury report
| Week | Game Status | Practice | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | Questionable | Full | Knee |
| Week 6 | Questionable | Limited | Calf |
| Season | Games Played | Weeks on Injury Report | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7 (in progress) | 0 | None |
| 2025 | 9 of 17 | 1 | Back |
| 2024 | 16 of 17 | 1 | Shoulder |
| 2023 | 17 of 17 | 1 | Calf |
Status changes are tracked from Oct 2026. Weekly rows come from official NFL injury reports.
UPCOMING MATCHUPS
| WEEK | OPPONENT | MATCHUP RATING | PROJECTED PTS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WEEK 9 | @MIA | 111.4 | 10.2 | 7.8 | 12.5 |
| WEEK 10 | NE | 109.3 | 10.2 | 7.8 | 12.5 |
Who Should I Start? Compare Sam LaPorta vs. Others
DRAFT RANK AND ADP
| NICK'S RANK | O-RANK | P-RANK | BB-RANK | $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | 41 | 3 | 81 | 26 |
| ADP | FFPC ADP |
|---|
Who Should I Draft? Compare Sam LaPorta vs. Others
FANTASY OUTLOOK
Sam LaPorta 2026 Fantasy Football Outlook: Still a Top-10 TE Click Amidst Health Questions
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta was the half-PPR TE7 through Week 9, securing 40 catches for 489 yards and three TDs, before ongoing back pains culminated in a fully herniated disc, ending his year in Week 10. He had initially tried to rehab it, but surgery was ultimately necessary after a month off didn't solve things. And Dan Campbell said that LaPorta is "read more...
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta was the half-PPR TE7 through Week 9, securing 40 catches for 489 yards and three TDs, before ongoing back pains culminated in a fully herniated disc, ending his year in Week 10. He had initially tried to rehab it, but surgery was ultimately necessary after a month off didn't solve things. And Dan Campbell said that LaPorta is "trending the right way" amidst a mid-June minicamp practice. Given that LaPorta is holding onto a half-PPR ADP around pick 80 in June as the No. 8 TE, it seems the market is echoing Campbell's positive statements. A healthy Lions team has many mouths to feed, so looking at that electric rookie campaign with 120 targets and 10 TDs sets unrealistic expectations. But his prominent role in a high-scoring offense does afford a lofty ceiling and median outcome that is well worth his current price tag in most draft rooms. Update 8/21/26: LaPorta's Week 1 status is now uncertain due to a hip injury suffered on a hit in practice. He still boasts a sizeable ceiling, and his ADP should slip to maintain value. Monitor the situation.less...
PLAYER PROJECTIONS
| TAR/GM | REC | REC/GM | YPC | TD | PTS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
0.0 | 5 | 4.6 | 11.6 | - | 9.8 | 7.3 | 12.3 | 10.3 |
|
|
5 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 12.7 | 0.5 | 10.6 | 10.6 | 10.6 | 10.6 |
STATS AND POINTS
| POINTS | RECEIVING | RUSHING | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEASON | TEAM | G | SNAP% | PTS | PTS/GM | RANK | P-RANK | TAR | REC | CTCH% | TAR/GM | YDS | YPC | TD | ATT | ATT/GM | YDS | YPA | TD | FUM | |
| AVG | |||||||||||||||||||||
| TOTAL | |||||||||||||||||||||
RED ZONE STATS
| RECEIVING | RUSHING | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEASON | TEAM | G | RZ TGT | RZ YDS | RZ TD | 10Z TGT | 10Z YDS | 10Z TD | RZ ATT | RZ YDS | RZ TD | 10Z ATT | 10Z YDS | 10Z TD | |||||
![]() |
|||||||||||||||||||
| AVG | |||||||||||||||||||
| TOTAL | |||||||||||||||||||
GAME LOG
| POINTS | RECEIVING | RUSHING | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WK | SCORE | OPP | SNAP% | PTS | P-RANK | TGT | TGT % | REC | CTCH% | YDS | YPC | RZ TGT | TD | ATT | RZ ATT | YDS | YPA | TD | FUM | |
![]() |
||||||||||||||||||||
| AVG | ||||||||||||||||||||
| TOTAL | ||||||||||||||||||||
Detroit Lions View More Details
Fantasy
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
RADIO

