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Fantasy Football with Ian Hartitz fantasy football takes on Sam LaPorta
Every source-backed video insight STACKED has extracted from Fantasy Football with Ian Hartitz about Sam LaPorta.
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Insight ledger
All Fantasy Football with Ian Hartitz insights about Sam LaPorta
PositiveInjurySep 11, 2026
Sam LaPorta is confirmed to be good to go for Week 1, as he is not listed on the injury report.PositiveProjectionSep 9, 2026
Ian Hartitz ranks Sam LaPorta as TE6, citing his consistent top-tier finishes over his first three seasons and the high over/under environment of the Lions-Saints game. While LaPorta is dealing with a hip issue, Hartitz tentatively expects him to play and views the Detroit offense as an ideal environment for his role.NegativeValueAug 28, 2026
Speaker expresses strong preference for Laporte at this draft position, stating 'I really hope Sam Leaport is there,' indicating he views Laporte as a target pick at this juncture. Speaker also expresses concern that publicly stating this preference might cause other 'fancy guys' to target him, suggesting Laporte is undervalued relative to speaker's internal ranking.NegativeInjuryAug 28, 2026
Drafted in round 6 of Hribar's high-stakes $1M draft as the fifth/ninth tight end off the board. He suffered a hip contusion in preseason but returned; Hribar and co-host note it was just a contusion (wind knocked out of him) and teams are appropriately cautious during ramp-up periods with soft tissue injuries expected. The injury is not a long-term concern.NegativeInjuryAug 22, 2026
Sam LaPorta has a hip injury that JJ Zachariason cites as a glaring issue, making him a mid-round tight end to avoid. The injury impacts the Lions' passing game distribution and elevates Jameson Williams' role.NegativeRoleAug 12, 2026
JJ Zachariason evaluates Sam LaPorta as a tight end option but passes on him, choosing instead to double down on wide receiver as his positional strength in a late-draft-position strategy.NegativeProjectionAug 11, 2026
Ian Hartitz ranks Sam LaPorta as his TE5 but expresses concern over a back injury, noting that while he is not on the PUP list, it remains a flaw. He highlights a discrepancy in ADP (TE6 on ESPN/Yahoo vs. TE8 on FFPC) and questions if last year's production is being overstated. He places LaPorta in the same tier as Kyle Pitts, Tucker Kraft, and Dalton Kincaid, noting that the Lions' elite offense is the primary tiebreaker in his favor despite the injury risk.PositiveValueAug 3, 2026
Sam LaPorta is a top-tier tight end target; Ian Hartitz dismisses concerns regarding his back injury as he is off the PUP list. He is utilized in the flex position and was selected in the sixth round as part of a tight-end premium strategy.NegativeValueNo date
Sam LaPorta serves as a benchmark for the top tier of tight ends, which are expected to be drafted by the end of round six. He was recently selected in the sixth round as part of a positional run alongside Kyle Pitts and Dalton Kincaid.NegativeUsageNo date
Sam LaPorta is part of a tight-end run in rounds 6–7 alongside Harold Fannon, Isaiah Likely, Travis Kelce, and Cole Kmet. Hartitz notes this run is 'music to our ears' because it allows teams to acquire two tight ends in a tight-end-premium league, positioning LaPorta as available in that draft window.NegativeUsageNo date
Ian Hartitz notes that Jahmyr Gibbs' receiving production was heavily dependent on Sam LaPorta being out of the lineup last season. Hartitz suggests that a return to full health for LaPorta could lead to a more condensed, wide-open passing game with more mouths to feed, which could potentially impact the receiving upside of other Lions pass-catchers.NegativeInjuryNo date
JJ Zachariason ranks Sam Leaporta as TE6 and notes he had offseason back surgery but avoided the PUP list, so week-one availability is not a concern. However, Leaporta faces significant target competition from Jameson Williams, Zachariah Branch, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and running backs Gibbs and Bejian Robinson, making him less likely than Kyle Pitts to rack up targets in the 90–100 range.NegativeProjectionNo date
JJ Zachariason projects Sam Laaporta as tight end six and notes he had offseason back surgery but avoided the PUP list, so week-one availability is not a concern. However, Laaporta faces significant target competition from Jameson Williams, Zachariah Branch, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and running backs Gibbs and Bejian Robinson, making him less likely than Kyle Pitts to rack up targets in the 90–100 range. Zachariason acknowledges a bullish case but expresses concern about reaching for him over higher-tier players; realistic scenario has Laaporta as #4 pass-game option in a top-4 Vegas-ranked offense.PositiveBreakoutNo date
Favorite tight end pick and flag plant for the year; drafted several rounds later than historical ADP despite excellent full-time role production. In 18-game sample of games with 75%+ route share, averaged 15.9 PPG—which would have been TE2 behind McBride last year. Tied with or ahead of Jameson Williams in targets per route run and target share on all-pro route stats, yet Williams is drafted as clear Lions TE2 option. Undervalued relative to production when healthy and on field.NegativeProjectionNo date
Ryan Heath's favorite tight end pick and flag plant for the year. Over his career with 75%+ route share, LaPorta has averaged 15.9 fantasy points per game across an 18-game healthy sample, which would have ranked as TE2 behind McBride last year. He is tied with or ahead of Jameson Williams in targets per route run and target share in all-pro route stats, yet the market is drafting Williams as the clear Lions WR2 when LaPorta is healthy. New offensive coordinator Drew Petzing has maintained Trey McBride above 75% route share in each of his last 29 games, suggesting LaPorta's route and target volume could increase. With the Lions having the highest implied Vegas points per game total of any team, LaPorta has outlier touchdown upside and is positioned as an underrated middle-to-late-round tight end target. LaPorta also has significant contingent upside if either Amon-Ra St. Brown or Jameson Williams gets injured; his weekly projection increases by three to four points in those scenarios. However, LaPorta is recovering from a back injury and avoided the PUP list, though there is some concern about his health status.