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Lions second-year tight end Sam LaPorta exploded onto the fantasy football scene in 2023, finishing as the TE1. LaPorta hauled in 86 passes for 889 yards and 10 TDs, regularly putting up huge games and providing league-winning upside.
LaPorta was held out of the preseason with a hamstring injury. However, he returned to practice after the preseason ended and has been practicing since.
LIONS NEWS: Dan Campbell gave some injury updates for today’s practice vs. Giants
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- Kevin Zeitler not a long term injury
- Sam LaPorta out again with hamstring
- Iffy Melifonwu out today with a minor injury
- Terrion is back and cleared protocol
- Rodrigo out with minor injury… pic.twitter.com/ZUaJP2tUXH— Booner (@boonersports) August 6, 2024
What is the TE's status heading into Week 1? Let's break it down.
Will Sam LaPorta Play This Season?
Yes. LaPorta's injury isn't season-ending. He's dealt with injuries in the past, but nothing major or recurring that we know of. Hamstring tweaks aren't uncommon for NFL players, and Lions head coach Dan Campbell hasn't expressed anything that would suggest LaPorta would miss the season or even extended time.
Hamstring injuries typically don't lead to entire missed seasons. A player could miss extended time due to major hamstring injuries (i.e. tearing it off the bone), but we would have been updated by now, and there's no way LaPorta would have been able to run or participate in practice if he had suffered such an extreme injury. Treat LaPorta as a lock to play in 2024.
Will Sam LaPorta Play In Week 1?
Almost certainly. The Lions have not indicated that LaPorta is in danger of missing time. Coach Campbell has stated that of the Lions' injured players, Ifeatu Melifonwu is the "only one right now who’s still not sure," suggesting that two injured Lions offensive players (LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs) are confident that they'll play in Week 1. Stay tuned for more updates, but everything is pointing toward LaPorta lining up for the Lions' Week 1 matchup against the Rams on September 8.
Sam LaPorta 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook
Since LaPorta's injury isn't seen by the Lions as severe, they're likely just taking precautions with him, as many teams tend to do before the season starts. That means LaPorta should be a lock for the lineups of all fantasy teams that own him on their rosters.
LaPorta is a wizard at beating both man and zone coverage and has great chemistry with Lions QB Jared Goff. Lions OC Ben Johnson has demonstrated that he has clear, prominent roles for LaPorta in his scheme.
Tight end is a difficult position to master in the NFL, and typically even good TEs don't break out in their rookie years. LaPorta has all the tools to succeed and could make another leap in 2024. He's one of only a few TEs who have a realistic shot of finishing 2024 as TE1. If you drafted LaPorta in fantasy this year, he's a set-and-forget lineup lock every time he steps on the field.
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