Who Should I Start? Evan Engram or Sam LaPorta

Wednesday, December 18, 12:15 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram (shoulder) underwent surgery on Monday to fix a torn labrum in his left shoulder. It was already announced that Engram would miss the rest of the 2024 season with his injury, but head coach Doug Pederson said he is expected to be back for spring workouts. The 30-year-old was placed on Injured Reserve last weekend, officially ending his season. After a career year in 2023 with the Jags in which he caught 114 passes for 963 yards and four touchdowns, Engram finishes 2024 with 47 catches, 365 receiving yards and only one touchdown in nine starts. It just wasn't meant to be for Jacksonville this year, and it didn't help Engram's cause that quarterback Trevor Lawrence couldn't stay healthy. Engram will be heading into the final year of his three-year, $41.25 million extension in 2025.

Saturday, December 21, 9:17 AM

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta hasn't had the monster season that many were predicting but he has made some strides over the last few weeks. Ahead of Week 16 at the Chicago Bears, LaPorta is looking like a good option at the tight end position. The Iowa product scored two touchdowns in the Thanksgiving matchup between the Lions and Bears in Detroit. The Bears are about middle of the pack against tight ends in fantasy points allowed, so LaPorta looks like a promising threat to score a touchdown in this matchup. In his last four games, LaPorta has seen at least six targets in each game and saw 10 targets against Buffalo last week. An increased role along with his red-zone prowess makes LaPorta a favorable start at the tight end position in the fantasy playoffs.