Detroit Lions- Position
- Tight End
- Height / Weight
- 6' 3", 245 lbs
- Born
- 12/1/2001 in Highland, IL
- Age
- 25
- College
- Iowa
- Draft
- 2023: Rd 2, Pk 34 (DET)
- Experience
- 4th Season
- Status
- Active
Why he's performing this way
The usage, efficiency, schedule and team factors behind his recent numbers.
Sam LaPorta has cooled off. He's at 7.4 fantasy pts / game (PPR) over his last game, down from 13.5.
- Recent
- 7.4
- Season
- 11.5
fantasy pts / game (PPR)
- Shrinking role
He's averaging 4.0 targets over his last game, compared with 7.5 before that. Fewer chances cap his ceiling no matter how efficient he is.
- Reliable secondary option
He draws 18% of DET's targets. That is enough for a solid floor, but big weeks depend on game script.
- League-average efficiency
7.6 yards per target on the season (the typical TE is at 7.1), and 11.0 over his last game.
- Tough recent schedule
Opponents in his last game (NYJ) give up less EPA per play than the league average. He has been producing against strong opponents, so the numbers are probably underselling him.
- Strong supporting cast
DET are averaging +0.08 EPA per play on offense. An efficient offense sustains drives and creates more scoring chances.
Play style & archetype
Compares 2026 play-by-play and box score data against 30 qualified TEs across 3 games.
Archetype
Red-zone tight end
Uses his size as a mismatch near the goal line.
He gets looks near the goal line (red-zone target rate 27.8%, top 14% of TEs).
EPA / target of 0.82 ranks in the top 17% of qualified TEs.
He sees heavy target volume (targets / game 6.3, top 24% of TEs).
4 NFL seasons and 2,248 career receiving yards. Best year: 889 in 2023.
Strengths
- EPA / target (0.82)
Areas to watch
Nothing stands out.
Percentile vs. TEs
- Targets / gamestyle6.3 · 76
- Target sharestyle16.4% · 66
- Deep target ratestyle5.6% · 31
- Middle-of-field ratestyle27.8% · 64
- Catch rate73.7% · 48
- Yards / reception10.3 · 57
- Red-zone target ratestyle27.8% · 86
- EPA / target0.82 · 83
Colored bars are quality measures. Gray "style" bars show how often he does something, not whether it's good.
Where he's targeted
50%
left
28%
middle
22%
right
6% of targets deep (15+ air yards), 94% short
Career statistics
Regular season, by year and team. Career bests are highlighted.
Rushing
| Season | Team | GP | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG | FD | FUM | LST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | DET | 17 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 45 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Receiving
Defense
Scoring
2026 game log
Box score lines from completed games this season.