Who Should I Start? Sam LaPorta or AJ Barner
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 4.5 | 48.3 | 0.4 |
Sam LaPorta News
Thursday, September 3, 12:25 PM
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta's 2025 campaign came to a premature end after he suffered a back injury in Week 10 that ultimately required season-ending surgery. The 25-year-old was productive before getting hurt, recording 40 catches for 489 yards and three touchdowns on 49 targets across nine games played. LaPorta gave fantasy managers a scare when he suffered a hip injury that caused him to miss some time this summer. However, the young tight end was able to return to practice and looks to be on track to start the regular season fully healthy. Between wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, as well as running back Jahmyr Gibbs, LaPorta faces plenty of target competition in Detroit. Still, the Lions enter the year with questions on defense and a new-look offensive line, both of which could force them to turn to the air early and often in 2026. As long as LaPorta remains healthy, he could be poised for a bounce-back season.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.8 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 28.5 | 0.3 |
AJ Barner News
Wednesday, September 9, 6:47 AM
Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner put together a strong camp, and he could be headed for a larger role during the 2026 season. Barner has impressed with 10 touchdowns over his two NFL seasons, and he finished last year as the overall TE14 in PPR leagues. He was able to maintain his fantasy relevance despite facing competition from Elijah Arroyo, who had second-round draft capital last year. This season, we expect Barner to get a similar amount of playing time, and that could actually lead to more volume. Now that he has established himself on offense for two years in a row, he should see his target share increase. Additionally, he should benefit from playing for new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury. Fleury was the tight ends coach in San Francisco, so he brings a strong background in the position to his new job with the Seahawks. In fact, it has already been reported by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler that Fleury plans to use a lot of two-tight-end sets in Seattle. That bodes well for Barner, who has a very strong chance to emerge as a top-12 fantasy tight end in Year 3.
Sam LaPorta vs. AJ Barner
Still trying to decide between LaPorta and Barner? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Sam LaPorta is projected to score 11.7 points this week while AJ Barner is projected to score 7.8 points.
Latest Fantasy News
