Who Should I Start? Cade Otton or Sam LaPorta

Monday, January 13, 12:34 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton caught two passes for 32 yards during Sunday's playoff loss to the Washington Commanders. The 25-year-old returned from a three-game absence this weekend, but he didn't have a major impact as the Buccaneers threw the ball just 18 times. Otton was once again overlooked as Baker Mayfield preferred throwing to wide receivers Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan. The 25-year-old finished as the overall TE14 in 2024, which was the best mark of his career and was also impressive given that he missed a trio of contests. Otton, who had 600 yards and four touchdowns during the regular season, will look to build on his production even further as he pushes to be a top-12 tight end. Fantasy managers should treat him as such, albeit on the fringe around No. 12. Managers who draft Otton in 2025 should feel comfortable with him in their starting tight end slot.

Sunday, January 19, 12:27 AM

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta caught six of his seven targets for 51 yards and a touchdown during Saturday's Divisional Round loss to the Washington Commanders. His touchdown came at the end of an impressive offensive play in which Jared Goff scrambled, threw while being tackled, and connected with LaPorta, who used his left hand to haul in the football and secure the catch. It was a valiant effort to give the Lions their only receiving touchdown of the game, but it wasn't enough. Detroit fell to Washington by two scores, ending their season shy of a Super Bowl berth once again. With that said, this Lions team continues to show plenty of promise ahead of the 2025 campaign. LaPorta himself was riding a hot stretch when the season ended, catching 38 passes for 392 yards and five touchdowns over his last seven contests. He should continue to rank as a mid-range TE1 ahead of next summer's fantasy drafts.