A breakout rookie year. A slightly disappointing sophomore season. Now what?

Sam LaPorta followed up his record-setting rookie year (86-889-10) with a solid, but disappointing 2024 campaign, logging 60 receptions, 726 yards, and 7 touchdowns in just 14 games. But he struggled with a myriad of injuries — and for dynasty managers, it introduced a critical question:

Is LaPorta still a foundational TE1, or do the injuries cloud what was once a bulletproof profile? This or That?

This — A building block.

• 🔥 Two-year pace: 146 receptions, 1,615 yards, 17 TDs — elite for any TE, much less one in his first two seasons

• 🎯 2024 follow-up to rookie season: 60/726/7 — still among top-quality tight ends

• 🧠 Core offensive role: leads Detroit tight ends in snaps and red-zone targets — bossed game scripts

• 📈 Young (24) + Situationally elite = positional advantage few can match

That — A peak to profit from.

• ⚠️ Drop in rate efficiency: yards per catch fell from 10.3 to 12.1; TD regression expected

• 🏹 Short-area usage: aDOT around 7–8 yards — not built for high variance

• 🌱 Lions’ offense is deep: Amon-Ra, Gibbs, and Jameson make weekly dominance tougher to sustain

• 💰 His market peak: two 2025 1sts or one plus an established starter

✅ Verdict: That.

LaPorta isn’t just a flash in the pan — he’s a generational-level tight end talent. In an era where rookie TEs rarely make immediate waves, he did it in Year 1 and followed up in Year 2. Even with efficiency regression, volume is king, and he’s locked into the offense for the long haul. The injuries in 2024 seem unrelated and unlikely to have a lasting impact on him. Unless you're being significantly overpaid, hold him — positional stability and age are exactly what matters at TE.

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