Who Should I Start? Sam LaPorta or Brock Bowers

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.

Saturday, August 16, 6:45 PM

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers has seen his role shift under the new coaching staff in preseason games this year. After a dominant rookie year with 112 receptions for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns, Bowers was out-snapped 8-to-5 by Michael Mayer on Saturday. Mayer handled most first- and second-down work, while Bowers appeared primarily on third downs and passing situations. It's unclear if this is simply preseason management to limit wear and tear or an early sign of a new rotation. While still a TE1 with elite upside, Bowers' usage should be monitored heading into Week 1.