Who Should I Start? Evan Engram or Sam LaPorta


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
5.6 0.0 0.0 2.6 23.4 0.1

Evan Engram News

Evan Engram's Name Still Outweighs His Role

Friday, July 24, 11:22 AM

Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram is still recognizable enough to tempt fantasy managers, but last season gave them little reason to chase the name. He caught 50 passes for 461 yards and one touchdown across 16 games while starting twice and playing only 42% of the offensive snaps. Denver has since added Jaylen Waddle, and fifth-round rookie Justin Joly brings another movable receiving option to the tight end room. Engram remains atop the depth chart for now. That does not guarantee the larger role he never found in 2025. RotoBaller ranks him TE35 for redraft, and he has slipped to 265th overall in its newest dynasty rankings. A rebound is possible if the playing time changes, but that is a preseason hope, not an expectation. Engram belongs on deep-league watch lists. Standard-league managers can find better late-round bets.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
11.2 0.0 0.0 4.2 48.5 0.3

Sam LaPorta News

Sam LaPorta Fully Cleared for Training Camp

Tuesday, July 21, 4:05 PM

Detroit Lions Pro Bowl tight end Sam LaPorta (back) was fully cleared earlier this month and will be ready to go for the start of training camp, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. The Lions will determine LaPorta's level of involvement early in camp, but he's expected to be a full-go after having surgery to fix a herniated disc in his back last year that limited him to only nine starts and a 40-489-3 line in his third year in the league. The 25-year-old former second-rounder in 2023 out of the University of Iowa was limited during offseason workouts, but as long as he doesn't suffer a setback with his back in camp, he'll be ready to roll for the 2026 regular-season opener and should once again be a key cog in Detroit's pass-happy offense. And because of his season-ending back injury a year ago, he's heading into the summer as an underrated TE1 in fantasy. Don't forget that LaPorta recorded 146 receptions on 203 targets for 1,615 yards and 17 touchdowns in 33 regular-season games in his first two years in the league. LaPorta is shaping up as a potential TE1 steal in drafts at his pre-camp ADP.


Evan Engram vs. Sam LaPorta

Still trying to decide between Engram and LaPorta? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Evan Engram is projected to score 5.6 points this week while Sam LaPorta is projected to score 11.2 points.