Sam LaPorta fantasy football insight from Hayden Winks - PPR Rankings

LaPorta only played the first 10 weeks of the year, when the Lions were 2nd in points per game (31.4) and 3rd in EPA per dropback. The offense was explosive, but LaPorta was only the TE15 in expected half PPR points on just 5.4 targets per game. He had no weekly floor due to volume. That's the risk in a balanced offense with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams competing for looks. Those issues could persist again in 2026. That said, LaPorta is a star on film and has some of the best advanced stats at the position. LaPorta was 2nd in success rate (67%), 4th in EPA per target (+0.74), and 5th in yards per target (10.1) last year. He flies around the field, and coach Dan Campbell springs him open on leaks and play-action shots. While not a great blocker, LaPorta has improved and can stay on the field for most snaps. The reality is this elite efficiency is bound to slightly regress, as his aDOT (5.7) and yards per target (10.0) make no sense together. So LaPorta will need better TD luck to make up the difference. Is that such a bad call in his situation? I don't think so. The Lions are 3rd in projected points (26.1), even if that's a full 5.0 points lower than they averaged last year when LaPorta was in the lineup. LaPorta is currently priced (104.2 ADP on Underdog) lower than where he finished on a per-game basis last season; 81st overall in fantasy points over replacement per game, which is my favorite all-encompassing stat. I'll buy into that arbitrage, also pointing out that LaPorta's ceiling jumps multiple tiers if something ever happens to Amon-Ra. LaPorta is one of...