Who Should I Start? Sam LaPorta or Harold Fannin Jr.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
11.2 0.0 0.0 4.2 48.5 0.3

Sam LaPorta News

Sam LaPorta Reminding the Lions What They Missed

Wednesday, August 12, 5:49 AM

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta missed the final eight games of 2025 with a herniated disc in his back, but once again healthy and unencumbered, he's made his presence felt throughout training camp, with senior team writer Tim Twentyman noting that he's reminded the team just how much he was missed to end the year. A day after quarterback Jared Goff called him a "stud" while speaking with the media, the two connected on back-to-back plays during a competitive portion of Tuesday's practice, following a big gain down the seam with a nine-yard touchdown. LaPorta was the TE1 as a rookie in 2023, and after a quieter second season, he was pacing as the TE7 through his first nine games of 2025. With a major role projected in Drew Petzing's tight end-friendly offense, he is RotoBaller's TE6 for 2026.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
11.3 0.8 0.0 4.5 47.4 0.3

Harold Fannin Jr. News

Harold Fannin Jr. Keeps Making a Strong TE1 Case

Wednesday, August 12, 12:01 PM

Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. already showed he could handle plenty as a rookie. He caught 72 passes for 731 yards and six touchdowns on 107 targets last season, finishing as the TE5 in half-PPR. David Njoku is with the Chargers now, and Fannin sits alone at the top of Cleveland's tight end depth chart. The groin injury that cost him Week 18 required offseason surgery, but he was cleared before camp and has looked active since. Fannin caught four passes in the Browns' first padded practice, then grabbed two red-zone touchdowns from Shedeur Sanders on Aug. 10. Cleveland did add more competition by drafting KC Concepcion 24th overall and Denzel Boston 39th, so another 107 targets can't just be penciled in. The quarterback job is still unsettled, too. Even with all of that, Fannin already produced in a bad passing environment and now has the tight end job to himself. RotoBaller has him at TE8. That isn't a bargain-basement ranking, but there is still room for Fannin to beat it if Cleveland's offense takes even a small step forward.


Sam LaPorta vs. Harold Fannin Jr.

Still trying to decide between LaPorta and Fannin Jr.? 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 11.2 points this week while Harold Fannin Jr. is projected to score 11.3 points.