Who Should I Start? Drew Sample or Sam LaPorta

Saturday, September 27, 2:08 PM

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Drew Sample has only three catches this season, with one resulting in a trip to the end zone. The 29-year-old has logged more snaps than Mike Gesicki and Noah Fant (foot) through the first three weeks of the 2025 campaign. However, both have received more attention from quarterbacks Joe Burrow (toe) and Jake Browning. The Bengals offense is a mess, which has been a surprise to most. As a result, it's hard to trust anyone on that side of the ball. Granted, Sample should continue to lead the position in snaps, especially with his abilities as a blocker. Still, while he will likely add a few more scores to his resume before the end of the season, he's not consistent enough to be considered a starting fantasy option in any format in Week 4 versus the Broncos.

Friday, November 21, 12:17 PM

According to Detroit Football Network's Justin Rogers, Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (back) is likely to miss the remainder of the season after successful surgery on his back. The 24-year-old was amid a rebound campaign, posting a 40/489/3 line before sustaining a back injury in their 44-22 win over the Commanders in Week 10. However, his status quickly deteriorated, and he's now facing a significant recovery. Fellow tight end Brock Wright (ankle) will operate as Detroit's TE1 in his teammate's stead, with Ross Dwelley working in behind him. Neither projects to be particularly useful for fantasy.