Who Should I Start? Sam LaPorta or C.J. Stroud

Saturday, January 31, 11:47 AM

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta was on a 17-game pace of 76 receptions for 924 yards and six touchdowns before a back injury prematurely ended his season. Expected to be healthy for the 2026 season, LaPorta should see heavy involvement in new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing's tight end-friendly system. With Petzing calling plays in Arizona for the past three seasons, Cardinals tight end Trey McBride has emerged as a fantasy superstar. While target competition in Detroit will be significantly stronger than McBride faced in the desert, LaPorta already has a TE1 season under his belt and is an obvious dynasty buy until his market recovers to its pre-injury form.

Friday, February 13, 8:42 AM

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud took another step backward in 2025, completing 64.5% of his passes for 3,014 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions across 14 regular-season games. He was also tripped up in the playoffs. Houston took down Pittsburgh in the Wild Card round, but then, Stroud threw four interceptions on a 42.6% completion rate in the Texans' elimination against the Patriots. Stroud was the overall QB11 despite missing two games as a rookie in 2023, but he fell to QB18 in 2024 and QB21 in 2025. The former No. 2 pick is still expected to have his fifth-year option picked up, but he needs to re-find his rookie form and prove that he's worthy of being the Texans' franchise quarterback long-term. He certainly has the weapons needed to produce; Nico Collins is a budding superstar, Dalton Schultz took major strides last season, Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins had big rookie seasons, and Tank Dell (knee) is presumably nearing a return. Stroud is worth holding in dynasty leagues right now, but he's a bit too risky to "buy low."