Yahoo Sports fantasy analysts Andy Behrens and Sal Vetri discuss the outlook for the Lions tight end this week against the Cardinals.
Video Transcript
I feel like I should recuse myself uh from this because number one, obviously, I have a lot of Sam Laporte is a pillar of my, of my dynasty empire.
So I’m worried here.
Um I do think it is a situation where the offense is gonna come around to him eventually.
Like the good news, Laporta if you’re looking for it is that he is actually right now leading all tight ends in routes, run on the season.
And his deployment in terms of just where he lines up on the field is exactly like last year, same percentage of slot snaps, same percentage out wide in line.
All of it, the bad news obviously is that he can’t buy a target and it’s not just Jamison Williams, although Jamison Williams can’t be stopped right now, but also Jamir Gibbs who kind of operates in that same area of the field as, as Sam Jamir Gibbs is quietly on pace for 90 plus catches this year.
So the emergence of those two has really hit him.
I still think there’s gonna be spike weeks, but he’s, he’s pretty clearly one of those guys where like the floor is just simply not as high as it was last season.
Sal Are you worried about this one?
Yeah, I am.
I, I think if, if you’re considering that Laporta was a third round fantasy pick, I’m finding it hard for him to pay that off with the emergence of Jamison Williams who looks legit.
It wasn’t just a weak one thing.
They’re scheming him in.
He’s seen 31% of the first read target share And the big thing right now for me is Laporta can still be fine like he can finish, have a solid season, not harm your fantasy rosters, but just not pay off that third round price.
I kind of view him right now like a George Kittle in that offense.
It’s an offense that wants to run the ball, first two capable pass, catchers, a pass catching running back and like Kittle in the 49er offense, he has some huge weeks in fantasy.
I mean, he’ll break fantasy slates with 2530 plus points sometimes, but a lot of weeks, I’ll also have three catches for 40 yards.
So I’m a little bit concerned and panicking that that could be the new slim Sam Laporta role for the Lions.
I’m a little concerned overall at the tight end position because I think we thought that it was going to come in and be this extraordinary, just mind breaking year for tight ends and offenses across the league and the tight ends that are actually putting up numbers are doing more of it from the slot position than they are from the tight end position.
So let’s see how that trend continues.