Lions' Sam LaPorta: Second straight one-catch tally
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LaPorta secured one of two targets for 25 yards in the Lions' 31-29 win over the Vikings on Sunday.
For the second consecutive week, LaPorta was limited to a sole catch, although it was once again a 20-plus yard grab. Nevertheless, the fact the talented tight end has drawn just three targets on 50 Jared Goff dropbacks over the last two games is concerning from a fantasy standpoint, irrespective of the second-year pro's recent knack for chunk plays. More useful volume could also be hard to come by in a Week 8 home matchup against a Titans defense that's been notoriously stingy against tight ends this season despite the team's poor record.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Contrarian DFS Play
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While I am very nervous about LaPorta's target volume and wouldn't consider him in cash games, the Vikings have seen the second-most targets to tight ends and this game could absolutely turn into a shootout. There's no reason to believe LaPorta has lost anything from last year and there's every reason to believe that there could be a big LaPorta week coming any week now.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: TEs to Start
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LaPorta is due for a big game, and hopefully it will happen for him coming out of his bye in Week 5. He's failed to score a touchdown this season, and his best outing was in Week 4 against Seattle when he caught four passes for 53 yards on four targets. The Cowboys just allowed two touchdowns to Pat Freiermuth and Connor Heyward in Week 5, and I hope LaPorta will break out in this potential shootout. I'm still trusting LaPorta as a top-10 Fantasy tight end in all leagues.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Four catches in Week 4 win
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LaPorta brought in all four targets for 53 yards in the Lions' 42-29 win over the Seahawks on Monday night.
LaPorta finished second in both receptions and receiving yards on the night, with the latter total also serving as a season high. The second-year tight end's catch tally also tied the total he'd recorded against the Rams in Week 1, but he still remains well below the pace he set during a spectacular 2023 rookie season. LaPorta has topped out at five targets (Week 1) as far as a single-game high this season, but he could be poised for more opportunities against an inconsistent Cowboys defense in a Week 6 road battle on Sunday, Oct. 13 following a Week 5 bye.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Full practice participant Friday
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LaPorta (ankle) was a full participant in practice Friday, Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com reports.
LaPorta thus is set to play in Monday's game against the Seahawks, with full practice participation confirming a quick recovery from the ankle sprain that limited his snaps in the second half of last week's win over the Cardinals. He's been a huge disappointment to fantasy managers this season, but the overall struggles of the TE position make it especially wise to practice patience.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Returns to practice
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LaPorta (ankle) returned to practice Friday, Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reports.
It's his first practice of the week, and he'll have another opportunity Saturday before the Lions host the Seahawks on Monday. LaPorta played through the ankle injury during last week's win at Arizona, but his playing time was scaled way back in the second half after he suffered the injury at the end of the second quarter.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Dealing with low-ankle sprain
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LaPorta was diagnosed with a low-ankle sprain Monday after suffering the injury in Sunday's 20-13 win over the Cardinals, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
LaPorta was forced off the field twice during Sunday's win over Arizona -- once in the first half when he was carted to the locker room, and once in the third quarter -- but he managed to return to the field in both instances. It's encouraging that the second-year tight end at least has avoided a more severe injury, such as a high-ankle sprain, but through three games to start the 2024 regular season, LaPorta has combined for just eight catches for 94 yards on 10 targets without a touchdown. He'll look to both get healthy and bounce back in terms of production Week 4, when the Lions face the Seahawks in a Monday night game.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Sprains ankle Sunday
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Coach Dan Campbell said LaPorta suffered an ankle sprain during Sunday's 20-13 win at Arizona, Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com reports.
LaPorta was carted to the locker room late in the first half and then was deemed questionable to return due to an ankle injury in the third quarter, but he was able to reenter on both occasions. His final receiving line (2-36-0 on two targets) didn't change after he initially left the contest, and his status now will be one to monitor closely to see if he may be in danger of sitting out Monday, Sept. 30 against the Seahawks. Brock Wright finished Week 3 with four catches (on four targets) for 34 yards, so he'd stand to benefit if LaPorta's health concern lingers for any length of time.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Returns to Sunday's contest
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LaPorta (undisclosed) returned to Sunday's game in Arizona, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Pressreports.
Per Birkett, LaPorta appeared to be hobbled after the Lions' third and final touchdown of the first half and needed to be carted to the locker room, but he was back on the sideline after halftime. LaPorta thus will be looking to build upon his two catches on as many targets for 36 yards over the final 30 minutes.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Needs cart to go to locker room
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LaPorta (undisclosed) was carted to the locker room during Sunday's game at Arizona, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The reason for LaPorta's exit isn't known, but if he's unable to return, he'll finish Week 3 action with two catches (on two targets) for 36 yards. Brock Wright and Parker Hesse are the Lions' healthy tight ends on the active roster.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Quiet night on SNF
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LaPorta caught four of five targets for 45 yards in Sunday's 26-20 overtime win over the Rams.
LaPorta was quiet for the majority of Week 1, though he logged an 18-yard reception on Detroit's final possession of regulation, which ended with a game-tying field goal from Jake Bates. Quarterback Jared Goff didn't have the most effective night, limiting the tight end's overall upside against Los Angeles. LaPorta will look to get more involved in Week 2 when the Lions host the Buccaneers, a team against whom the tight end caught nine of 11 targets for 65 yards in the divisional round of the postseason in 2023.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Not on injury report
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LaPorta (hamstring) wasn't listed on the Lions' injury report Wednesday.
LaPorta came down with a hamstring injury Aug. 5, which spurred the Lions to take a cautious approach with the second-year tight end for the rest of training camp and the preseason. Detroit didn't actually hold a practice Wednesday, but he wouldn't have been limited if the team had taken the field. With his availability now clear for Sunday's game versus the Rams, LaPorta will reclaim his standing as the Lions' second pass catcher behind wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown, which amounted to 86 catches (on 120 targets) for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns in 17 games as a rookie in 2023.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Seems ready for Week 1
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Coach Dan Campbell said Monday that LaPorta (hamstring) is not one of the players whose injury status is a concern for Sunday's regular-season opener against the Rams, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.
LaPorta and fellow second-year standout Jahmyr Gibbs (hamstring) both resumed practicing last week after having missed a substantial portion of training camp due to hamstring issues. Campbell said Monday that only Ifeatu Melifonwu (undisclosed) is a real candidate to miss Week 1 due to injury, though, so, while it remains to be seen whether LaPorta and Gibbs have yet resumed practicing in full, both players should be on the field during Sunday Night Football to take on Los Angeles. LaPorta set the receptions record for a rookie tight end last season with 86 catches, and he could still have room to grow entering Year 2.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Resumes practicing
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LaPorta (hamstring) returned to practice Sunday, Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reports.
The tight end was one of many Lions to resume practicing Sunday, and it marked his first on-field work since the first week of August. LaPorta is on track to be ready for a Week 1 game against the Rams on Sunday, Sept. 8, but it still will be worth monitoring the situation to make sure he gets back to full practice participation before then.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Should resume practicing soon
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Coach Dan Campbell said Tuesday that LaPorta (hamstring) could resume practicing as soon as Sunday, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Campbell mentioned the day after Detroit's preseason finale as a possible return date for a bunch of injured players, including LaPorta and RB Jahmyr Gibbs (hamstring). While it's not ideal to have two stars dealing with summer hamstring injuries, there's been no indication that either playmaker is expected to remain out for long. LaPorta was first reported to be dealing with an injury Aug. 5.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Remains out Saturday
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LaPorta (hamstring) did not play in the Lions' 24-23 win over Kansas City on Saturday.
LaPorta has been nursing a hamstring injury, and he was on the sideline for Detroit's second preseason matchup. None of the team's starters played in the contest, so the tight end's absence isn't necessarily an indication of where he's at with the injury. LaPorta will look to return to practice this week, but at this point, he appears unlikely to play in Saturday's preseason finale at home versus Pittsburgh.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Sits out preseason opener
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LaPorta (hamstring) didn't see action in Thursday's preseason opener against the Giants, the Detroit News reports.
The Lions opted not to play their key skill players in the contest, but LaPorta has been dealing with a hamstring injury, so he probably wouldn't have played Thursday even if they had. The star tight end's next chance to see game action is Aug. 17 against the Chiefs, but he'll need to get some practice time in before then for that to occur.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Primed for Year 2 with Lions
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As the coming season approaches, LaPorta remains the top option in a Detroit tight end corps that also includes Brock Wright, James Mitchell, Shane Zylstra, Parker Hesse and Sean McKeon.
LaPorta burst onto the scene last season with the Lions after being selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The 23-year-old recorded 86 receptions for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns over the team's 17 regular-season contests. The touchdown mark tied him with Rob Gronkowski for the second-most scores all-time for a rookie tight end. With offensive coordinator Ben Johnson sticking around this offseason, Detroit's high-powered offense will likely lead to another productive season for LaPorta in 2024.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Impressive in postseason loss
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LaPorta recorded nine receptions (on 13 targets) for 97 yards in Sunday's 34-31 loss to the 49ers.
LaPorta led the team in targets, receptions and yards, and it was also his second consecutive contest with nine receptions and double-digit targets. Though he didn't find the end zone, LaPorta was a consistent big-play threat as he recorded a pair of catches for 16 yards, and two more of his receptions went for double-digit gains. It was a strong close to an impressive rookie season, and LaPorta should be a strong second option in Detroit's passing attack behind wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown in 2024.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Listed as non-participant Wednesday
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LaPorta (knee) didn't take part in Wednesday's walkthrough practice.
LaPorta is being listed as a non-participant on a Lions injury report for the first time since Jan. 11 due to the hyperextension and bone bruise in his left knee that he suffered Week 18 against the Vikings. He's been able to play through the pain in Detroit's first two playoff games, earning at least an 80 percent snap share in both contests on his way to a combined 12 catches (on 14 targets) for 79 yards and one touchdown. LaPorta will have two more chances this week to get back to full participation before the team potentially tags him with a designation ahead of Sunday's NFC Championship Game at San Francisco.
