Who Should I Start? Darnell Washington or Sam LaPorta
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Darnell Washington News
Saturday, April 11, 8:39 PM
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington should take over exclusive responsibility of the No. 2 spot on the depth chart behind Pat Freiermuth, but his lack of ties to the new coaching staff could complicate the situation. Washington was drafted by former head coach Mike Tomlin, and he had the best season of his young career in 2025 under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Both Tomlin and Smith are gone, being replaced by Mike McCarthy and Brian Angelichio. That's not to say that McCarthy and Angelichio won't utilize Washington; the Steelers' lack of tight end moves this offseason suggests they're satisfied with the position. However, the new staff has no attachment to Washington, and they could opt to use him less than Smith did in 2025, when he caught 31 passes for 364 yards and one touchdown. That's just one possibility amidst a large range of possible outcomes, so fantasy managers shouldn't necessarily panic. He's a speculative hold in most dynasty leagues at the moment.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Sam LaPorta News
Monday, April 13, 6:28 PM
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (back) missed the second half of the 2025 season due to a herniated disc, giving managers a prime opportunity to buy low in dynasty leagues this offseason. The 25-year-old was averaging 11.8 fantasy points per game when healthy, contributing 40 catches for 489 yards and three touchdowns through nine weeks. He has finished each of his three NFL seasons with at least 10.9 fantasy points per game, offering consistency as a mid-range TE1 in fantasy football. However, LaPorta's back injury has skewed his price tag in dynasty leagues, where he's being priced as more of a low-end TE1 in trade talks. For tight end-needy dynasty managers, this is the perfect opportunity to buy low on LaPorta and get a weekly contributor. Not only has he been productive in the past, but he'll continue to operate in a Lions offense that should be good for a long time. Jared Goff has shown that he can support big fantasy outputs from Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and LaPorta all at once. The Iowa product remains a productive weapon in a successful offense. He's one of the most intriguing buy-low options at the tight end position in dynasty leagues this offseason.
Darnell Washington vs. Sam LaPorta
Still trying to decide between Washington and LaPorta? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Darnell Washington is projected to score 0.0 points this week while Sam LaPorta is projected to score 0.0 points.
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