Who Should I Start? Sam LaPorta or Ja'Tavion Sanders

Monday, September 15, 11:11 PM

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta missed out on the fun in his team's 52-point performance against the Chicago Bears in Week 2. LaPorta was targeted four times by Lions quarterback Jared Goff out of 28 pass attempts and recorded three catches for 26 yards. Detroit has several formidable offensive weapons, so there's always a risk that LaPorta will fall behind wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams and running back Jahmyr Gibbs in the pecking order for touches. After averaging over seven targets per game as a rookie in 2023, LaPorta has now averaged 5.3 targets per game across his last 18 regular-season contests. He remains a fantasy TE1, but he may be overly reliant on touchdowns as long as Detroit's other pass-catchers remain healthy.

Monday, September 15, 3:25 PM

Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders tied for second on the team with a career-high six catches on nine targets in Week 2. Thanks to trailing by as many as 24 points in the third quarter, Bryce Young was forced to throw the ball 55 times. Sanders made the most of his opportunities, catching six passes for 54 yards in the contest. The involvement in the passing game is an encouraging sign, but we'll have to pump the brakes until the Panthers show they can consistently get Sanders involved in the passing game in a closer contest. In Week 1, Sanders saw just three targets. The Panthers will host the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3, who are coming off a stellar defensive performance on Sunday night when they held the Minnesota Vikings to just 120 passing yards. Sanders should be kept on the waiver wire, but it would be a good idea to continue to monitor his stat line moving forward.