By Adeniyi Precious 
Sam LaPorta’s rookie season was insane—he finished as the top fantasy tight end. So, when his numbers dipped in 2024, it felt like a letdown. But was it really that bad? Not exactly.
LaPorta started slow, thanks to some nagging injuries. Through Week 7, he had just 14 catches and one touchdown, ranking outside the top 20 among fantasy TEs. But once he got rolling? Different story. Over the final 10 games, he racked up 46 catches, 502 yards, and six touchdowns. From Week 8 onward, he was a top-six tight end, and during fantasy playoffs (Weeks 15-17), he was either TE1 or TE2, depending on your scoring format.
Looking Ahead to 2025
ESPN’s Mike Clay pointed out that while LaPorta’s numbers dipped from 86-889-10 in his rookie year to 60-726-7 in 2024, his late-season surge showed he was back to form. After averaging just 2.8 targets per game in his first six weeks, he jumped to 6.7 targets per game over the final 11—right in line with his breakout rookie year.
If you project his late-season pace over a full year, LaPorta would’ve finished with about 78 catches, 853 yards, and 10 touchdowns, which would’ve made him the TE4 in full PPR. That’s a big reason to be optimistic for 2025.
Will he be the overall TE1 again? Maybe not. But if his “disappointing” season still landed him in the top 10, then a top-five finish next year seems like a solid bet.