Who Should I Start? Courtland Sutton or Sam LaPorta


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
16.6 0.0 0.0 6.3 73.2 0.5

Courtland Sutton News

Will Courtland Sutton Lose Targets to Younger Teammates?

Saturday, March 14, 1:07 PM

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton was a top-15 fantasy receiver for the second year in a row in 2025, but he was very inconsistent week over week and saw his role diminish as some of the Broncos' younger receivers stepped into larger roles. Sutton had eight games with at least 16.7 full-PPR points, but he also had four games with fewer than 5.5 fantasy points, which is far from ideal for someone being drafted as a WR2. He also had four different games with just one catch as the Broncos worked to feature Pat Bryant and Troy Franklin. Bryant, a rookie, registered at least seven fantasy points, three catches, and four targets in each of his last five games. Meanwhile, Franklin, a second-year receiver, had three games with at least 20 points and finished as the overall WR31. It may be too soon to predict that either Bryant or Franklin will completely outscore Sutton in year-long fantasy football, but the 31-year-old is definitely a riskier pick in 2026 given his teammates' ascensions. Sutton is best viewed as a low-end WR2 or high-end WR3 with a floor outside the top 36 receivers.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
9.7 0.0 0.0 4.1 40.1 0.3

Sam LaPorta News

Sam LaPorta Will Return from Injury to Find a Favorable System

Tuesday, March 3, 5:25 AM

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (back) missed the final eight weeks of the 2025 regular season, and when he returns in 2026, he'll find himself in a new-look offense. The strong supporting cast remains in place (minus David Montgomery), but we expect to see a new offensive scheme and style of play after Detroit made a coaching staff change. The Lions hired former Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing to the same role, indicating we could see even more emphasis on the tight end position next year. Petzing helped pepper Trey McBride with targets last year; the 26-year-old was the TE2 in PPR leagues in 2024, and the TE1 last season. LaPorta is looking to return to that type of elite form. He was the TE1 himself as a rookie in 2023, but he dropped to TE8 in 2024 and TE27 in his injury-shortened 2025 campaign. When healthy last season, LaPorta averaged 4.4 catches, 54.3 yards, and 0.3 touchdowns per game. If Petzing places an emphasis on getting the tight end even more involved, he'll make a strong push to be a top-five fantasy option at the position in 2026. Because he's coming off an injury, he's an intriguing buy-low option in dynasty leagues, as well as an underpriced draft pick at his ADP in redraft formats.


Courtland Sutton vs. Sam LaPorta

Still trying to decide between Sutton and LaPorta? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Courtland Sutton is projected to score 16.6 points this week while Sam LaPorta is projected to score 9.7 points.