As a rookie with the Detroit Lions last season, Sam LaPorta shocked everyone. While Dan Campbell was a tight end himself, rookie tight ends seldom make the same kind of impression as LaPorta did the previous season. More than anybody else, he understands the importance of the role. Is he going to be TE1 again this season based on his rookie year?
Sam LaPorta’s 2024 Fantasy Football Profile: A Recap of 2023
In both standard and PPR formats, LaPorta was the top tight end in fantasy football last season. The Lions tight end has 889 receiving yards in his debut season. That is around the weekly average for tight ends, or 52 yards per game. LaPorta’s true strength was entering the end zone, where he grabbed ten touchdown passes from Jared Goff.
The rookie tight end was Goff’s second-favorite target behind Amon-Ra St. Brown in 2023. LaPorta benefitted from Goff being one of just two quarterbacks to finish in the top 10 for PFF passing grades on short, medium, and deep passes. It’s a large reason why LaPorta did as well as he did last season.
With Campbell having experience as a tight end, he made sure he got the most out of LaPorta even as a rookie. LaPorta secured at least five catches in 10 games in 2023. If week 18 is excluded since most fantasy leagues wrap up in week 17, he made five or more catches in 9/16 games, or 56% of the games he appeared in.
