Who Should I Start? Sam LaPorta or Caleb Williams

Tuesday, December 31, 12:33 AM

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta caught six of his eight targets for 64 yards and one touchdown during Monday's Week 17 win over the San Francisco 49ers. LaPorta had a relatively quiet and inconsistent start to the season, but he has come on incredibly strong lately, posting double-digit fantasy points in each of his last five contests. In fact, he ranks as the overall TE1 since Week 13, scoring 6.6 points more than the second-highest tight end scorer, Trey McBride. As long as the Lions' offense keeps surging, LaPorta should remain an integral contributor within the passing attack. His ability to command targets, catch passes, rack up yardage, and score touchdowns parallels the NFL's elite tight ends, like McBride, Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and Brock Bowers. Fantasy managers should continue to view LaPorta as a mid-to-high TE1 option for Week 18 against the Minnesota Vikings.

Monday, December 30, 8:00 PM

Chicago Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown said on Monday that there has been no thought or talk of sitting rookie quarterback Caleb Williams for the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Brown expects all the team's healthy veteran players to suit up as well. Williams, the first overall pick back in April, has had a tough rookie season in the NFL, but it hasn't all been his fault -- the Bears fired their head coach and offensive coordinator midseason. The 23-year-old from USC has taken a league-high 67 sacks and has looked like a rookie for most of the year. There's no denying his playmaking abilities and elite arm strength, but it hasn't been the year many expect for Williams, who has thrown for 3,393 yards, 19 TDs and six picks in 16 starts. If the Packers rest some of their starters, Williams could end up having a decent final game in 2024.