Who Should I Start? Sam LaPorta or Tucker Kraft


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
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Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
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Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Sam LaPorta News

Sam LaPorta Looks Good During OTA Practice on Thursday

Thursday, June 4, 1:26 PM

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (back) looked good and was moving around well at OTA practice on Thursday after he sat out of the first open practice last week, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. It's a good sign for LaPorta, who is coming off back surgery to fix a herniated disc that forced him to miss the final eight games of the 2025 season. The 25-year-old former second-rounder in 2023 out of the University of Iowa was the No. 1 fantasy TE in his rookie year, catching 86 passes for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns on 120 targets in 17 regular-season games. LaPorta took a slight step back in 2024 with a 60-726-7 line in 16 starts, before catching just 40 passes for 489 yards and three scores a year ago in nine starts. It won't cost nearly as much to secure LaPorta's services in fantasy as a low-end TE1 after his injury in 2025, and with the situation not much different in Detroit than in his first two years, there is clear bounce-back potential in his fourth year in the NFL if he can stay healthy. LaPorta is ranked as RotoBaller's No. 9 TE for the 2026 campaign.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Tucker Kraft News

Tucker Kraft Expects to Play in Week 1 With No Restrictions

Wednesday, June 10, 11:23 AM

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (knee) said he expects to play in the Week 1 regular-season opener in early September without a pitch count, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. The 25-year-old suffered a season-ending torn ACL in his knee last year and has not been taking part in organized team activities, but he's expected to return to the field for training camp this summer and be ready for the start of the upcoming campaign. How much Kraft can do at camp will ultimately decide whether he's a full-go for Week 1, so we'll keep a close eye on his progress going into late July. The former third-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft out of South Dakota State was well on his way to a breakout in 2025 before injuring his knee, catching 32 of his 44 targets for 489 yards and six touchdowns in just eight starts for the Packers. Despite coming off a major knee injury, RotoBaller has Kraft ranked as the No. 5 fantasy TE for 2026. He'll be a high-risk/high-reward TE selection, and his cost will continue to rise if he looks good during camp.


Sam LaPorta vs. Tucker Kraft

Still trying to decide between LaPorta and Kraft? 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 0.0 points this week while Tucker Kraft is projected to score 0.0 points.