Who Should I Start? Pat Freiermuth or Sam LaPorta

Sunday, January 5, 2:11 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth finished with eight receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets in a 19-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The lone bright spot for Pittsburgh's offense, Freiermuth led the team in all major receiving categories on Saturday night and came down with a 19-yard score in the fourth quarter on a throw by quarterback Russell Wilson. Freiermuth has an excellent track record against the Bengals and again had a strong showing against his division rival. He did, however, drop a pass on 4th and 12 that could have put the Steelers in range to kick a game-winning field goal with just seconds remaining on the clock. Nonetheless, Freiermuth has been rather productive for fantasy lately and will remain a solid starting option next weekend in playoff leagues and DFS contests.

Monday, January 6, 1:09 AM

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta caught all seven of his targets for 63 yards during Sunday's Week 18 win over the Minnesota Vikings. LaPorta played a large role in helping the Lions secure the NFC's top seed, both this weekend and over a greater stretch of games. In fact, over the final six weeks of the regular season, he ranked first among tight ends in fantasy points (tied with Trey McBride). It was impressive to watch the 23-year-old overcome a tough start to 2024 and finish the season as one of fantasy football's most productive, impactful tight ends. He should remain in the mid-range TE1 tier for 2025, and this season should serve as a reminder to fantasy managers that LaPorta is a top fantasy option regardless of whether his role in the Detroit offense takes a little while to develop.