Who Should I Start? Kyle Pitts Sr. or Sam LaPorta

Saturday, August 30, 8:09 AM

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. could be on the move this year, according to the latest report from The Athletic's Jeff Howe. Howe reported that if the Falcons struggle early in the season and Pitts isn't clicking with new quarterback Michael Penix Jr., he could be available before the trade deadline. Pitts is coming into the final year of his huge five-year rookie contract and will earn a hefty $10.878 million salary. While that huge price tag will make a trade tricky, teams have been willing to eat salary to add a playmaker or to add draft capital if the Falcons include a draft pick in the deal. Pitts hauled in 47 catches for 602 yards and a career-high four touchdowns while playing all 17 games last season. He posted over 600 yards in each of the last two years, but he hasn't consistently delivered on the upside that he promised as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. A change of scenery would be interesting for Pitts and his fantasy value as a fringe TE1 before he hits the free agent market after this season.

Tuesday, August 19, 1:18 PM

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (undisclosed) returned to training camp practice on Tuesday, according to Colton Pouncy of The Athletic. LaPorta has been held out of practices recently with a minor undisclosed issue, but it was never considered serious. It's unclear if he'll make his debut this preseason in the finale on Saturday against the Houston Texans. The 24-year-old former second-rounder (34th overall) in 2023 out of Iowa put himself on the fantasy map right away in his rookie campaign with an 86-889-10 line in 17 games (14 starts). He took a slight step backwards in his sophomore season with a 60-726-7 line in 16 regular-season starts. LaPorta has plenty of competition in a still stacked Lions offense which will be run by new offensive coordinator John Morton. However, in one of the top offenses in the league, LaPorta should be considered a top-five fantasy TE.