2025
2025 season · TE · #87 · 3rd season
Sam LaPorta
Age 25 · 6'3" · 249 lb · Iowa · Pick 34 overall (2023). Snap share 91% across 9 games.
- How goodLaPorta's +36.4 EPA is 9th of 72 tight ends.
- Where it comes fromThe biggest share comes after the catch (+32.6, 84th percentile per target).
- Fantasy7.4 standard points a game, TE5 of 108.9.7 half-PPR points a game, TE6 of 108.11.9 PPR points a game, TE6 of 108.
- How he's usedHe works the middle of the field: 33% of his targets come between the numbers (league 25%).
- LatelyTargets are steady: 5.3 a game over his last three against 5.4 for the season.
How good is hehis line against the league at his position
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target shareof team targets | 18% | 12th of 72 | 84th | |
| Depth of targetair yards per target | 5.7 | 36th of 72 | 51st | |
| After the catchyards per reception | 6.9 | 9th of 72 | 88th | |
| Catch ratereceptions per target | 82% | 6th of 72 | 92nd | |
| EPA per target | +0.74 | 6th of 72 | 92nd |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First downsper target | 47% | 13th of 72 | 82nd | |
| Drop ratedrops per target, lower is better | 0% | 1st of 72 | 91st | |
| Yards per game | 54.3 | 6th of 72 | 92nd | |
| Success rate | 67% | 6th of 72 | 92nd | |
| Total EPA | +36.4 | 9th of 72 | 88th |
How this is measured
Each bar is the league at his position; the marker is him. Right is better, the dashed line is the median. Ranks are out of the qualifying pool, ties shown as T-, and move every week as the pool changes.
LaPorta scores 7.4 standard points a game, TE5 of 108 TEs with enough games. Most weeks land between 3.0 and 13.0; 3 boom weeks (9+) and 2 busts (under 3).
LaPorta scores 9.7 half-PPR points a game, TE6 of 108 TEs with enough games. Most weeks land between 4.8 and 15.5; 3 boom weeks (12+) and 1 bust (under 4).
LaPorta scores 11.9 PPR points a game, TE6 of 108 TEs with enough games. Most weeks land between 6.4 and 18.0; 3 boom weeks (15+) and 1 bust (under 5).
How this is measured
Fantasy points are nflverse's standard and full-PPR scoring (6 points for a rushing or receiving touchdown, 4 for a passing touchdown, minus 2 for an interception or a lost fumble); half PPR is the average of the two. Ranks are points a game among players at his position with at least half the most games played. Most weeks is his 20th to 80th percentile game. Bars are green on a boom week and red on a bust; the dashed line is the starter line, the points a game of the TE12 in a 12-team league. The format you pick is remembered on this device.
How he's usedhis fingerprint, where the ball finds him and when
He works the middle of the field: 33% of his targets come between the numbers (league 25%). His share of the team's targets is 9%: on third down it holds at 10%; inside the 20 it holds at 7%.
How this is measured
Every trait is a share of his own targets, so volume does not move it. The marker is him among the league's qualifying tight ends; the dashed line is the median. Styles are not grades: a high or low percentile is a description, not a verdict. Play action, screen, RPO, motion and blitz flags come from FTN charting and read low in a week it has not published.
LaPorta's +36.4 EPA is 9th of 72 tight ends. The biggest share comes after the catch (+32.6, 84th percentile per target).
career +0.35 over 2023–2024 · the best of his 3 seasons so far
How this is measured
Every target this season, split by what happened. Catches divide at the catch: the yards in the air and what came after. The percentile is him among the qualifying tight ends, higher is better, so a cost smaller than most ranks high. The parts add up to the totals above; the career strip counts seasons with at least 15 targets.
He is targeted short middle 1.6× as often as the league (18% of his targets against 12%) and gains +0.67 EPA a target there.
How this is measured
Every target with a charted depth and direction this season; sacks and throws with no charted direction are left out. Left and right are as the offense sees the field. Cells with fewer than three targets show no EPA.
On the field
By depth of target
Who he works withthe connection, and the rest of the huddle
By depth
Week by weekthe shape of his season, the game log and the defenses behind it
| Wk | Opponent | Defense | Snap | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | at GB L 13-2713th D | 13th vs TE | 91% | 9 | 6 | 79 | +2.2 | |
| 2 | vs CHI W 52-2111th D | 11th vs TE | 85% | 4 | 3 | 26 | -0.2 | |
| 3 | at BAL W 38-3010th D | 10th vs TE | 84% | 4 | 4 | 33 | +4.4 | |
| 4 | vs CLE W 34-108th D | 8th vs TE | 93% | 4 | 3 | 39 | +1.0 | |
| 5 | at CIN W 37-2429th D | 29th vs TE | 94% | 6 | 5 | 92 | 1 | +7.6 |
| 6 | at KC L 17-3020th D | 20th vs TE | 96% | 6 | 5 | 55 | 1 | +5.1 |
| 7 | vs TB W 24-924th D | 24th vs TE | 97% | 3 | 3 | 15 | +1.1 | |
| 8 | Bye week | |||||||
| 9 | vs MIN L 24-276th D | 6th vs TE | 100% | 8 | 6 | 97 | 1 | +9.5 |
| 10 | at WAS W 44-2231st D | 31st vs TE | 76% | 5 | 5 | 53 | +5.8 | |
| 11 | at PHI L 9-16Did not play · Out (back) | |||||||
| 12 | vs NYG W 34-27Did not play | |||||||
| 13 | vs GB L 24-31Did not play | |||||||
| 14 | vs DAL W 44-30Did not play | |||||||
| 15 | at LA L 34-41Did not play | |||||||
| 16 | vs PIT L 24-29Did not play | |||||||
| 17 | at MIN L 10-23Did not play | |||||||
| 18 | at CHI W 19-16Did not play | |||||||
| 19 | Bye week | |||||||
| 20 | Bye week | |||||||
| 21 | Bye week | |||||||
| 22 | Bye week | |||||||
| 9 games | 91% | 49 | 40 | 489 | 3 | +36.4 |
| Wk | Opponent | Defense | Tgt share | Air share | aDOT | YAC | EPA/tgt | 1D | Drops |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | at GB L 13-2713th D | 13th vs TE | 24% | 28% | 5.0 | 48 | +0.24 | 3 | |
| 2 | vs CHI W 52-2111th D | 11th vs TE | 14% | 7% | 4.5 | 17 | -0.05 | 1 | |
| 3 | at BAL W 38-3010th D | 10th vs TE | 15% | 12% | 6.3 | 8 | +1.10 | 3 | |
| 4 | vs CLE W 34-108th D | 8th vs TE | 16% | 13% | 10.5 | 9 | +0.25 | 1 | |
| 5 | at CIN W 37-2429th D | 29th vs TE | 26% | 25% | 4.3 | 69 | +1.26 | 4 | |
| 6 | at KC L 17-3020th D | 20th vs TE | 22% | 34% | 6.2 | 27 | +0.85 | 3 | |
| 7 | vs TB W 24-924th D | 24th vs TE | 11% | 6% | 3.3 | 5 | +0.37 | 1 | |
| 8 | Bye week | ||||||||
| 9 | vs MIN L 24-276th D | 6th vs TE | 22% | 22% | 6.9 | 57 | +1.19 | 4 | |
| 10 | at WAS W 44-2231st D | 31st vs TE | 16% | 11% | 3.8 | 34 | +1.15 | 3 | |
| 11 | at PHI L 9-16Did not play · Out (back) | ||||||||
| 12 | vs NYG W 34-27Did not play | ||||||||
| 13 | vs GB L 24-31Did not play | ||||||||
| 14 | vs DAL W 44-30Did not play | ||||||||
| 15 | at LA L 34-41Did not play | ||||||||
| 16 | vs PIT L 24-29Did not play | ||||||||
| 17 | at MIN L 10-23Did not play | ||||||||
| 18 | at CHI W 19-16Did not play | ||||||||
| 19 | Bye week | ||||||||
| 20 | Bye week | ||||||||
| 21 | Bye week | ||||||||
| 22 | Bye week | ||||||||
| 9 games | 18% | 17% | 5.7 | 274 | +0.74 | 23 |
| Wk | Opponent | Defense | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | 20+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | at GB L 13-2713th D | 13th vs TE | 6 | 79 | 13.2 | 1 | |
| 2 | vs CHI W 52-2111th D | 11th vs TE | 3 | 26 | 8.7 | ||
| 3 | at BAL W 38-3010th D | 10th vs TE | 4 | 33 | 8.3 | ||
| 4 | vs CLE W 34-108th D | 8th vs TE | 3 | 39 | 13.0 | 1 | |
| 5 | at CIN W 37-2429th D | 29th vs TE | 5 | 92 | 18.4 | 1 | 2 |
| 6 | at KC L 17-3020th D | 20th vs TE | 5 | 55 | 11.0 | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | vs TB W 24-924th D | 24th vs TE | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | ||
| 8 | Bye week | ||||||
| 9 | vs MIN L 24-276th D | 6th vs TE | 6 | 97 | 16.2 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | at WAS W 44-2231st D | 31st vs TE | 5 | 53 | 10.6 | ||
| 11 | at PHI L 9-16Did not play · Out (back) | ||||||
| 12 | vs NYG W 34-27Did not play | ||||||
| 13 | vs GB L 24-31Did not play | ||||||
| 14 | vs DAL W 44-30Did not play | ||||||
| 15 | at LA L 34-41Did not play | ||||||
| 16 | vs PIT L 24-29Did not play | ||||||
| 17 | at MIN L 10-23Did not play | ||||||
| 18 | at CHI W 19-16Did not play | ||||||
| 19 | Bye week | ||||||
| 20 | Bye week | ||||||
| 21 | Bye week | ||||||
| 22 | Bye week | ||||||
| 9 games | 40 | 489 | 12.2 | 3 | 6 |
Targets are steady: 5.3 a game over his last three against 5.4 for the season. At or above a starter's median in yards in 8 of 9 games.
How this is measured
Bars are his week. The shaded band is the league's middle half at his position, every qualifying player-game this season, and the dashed line is its median. The solid line is his trailing three games. An × on the baseline is a game his team played without him; a dotted tick is the bye.
He has faced the 21st-toughest slate vs TE: his opponents rank 16.9 of 32 on average (league middle 16.3).
The slate · played solid, ahead dashed
His line by defense faced
| Defenses | G | Tgt/g | Yds/g | EPA/tgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ranked 1 to 10Top-10 defenses | 3 | 5.3 | 56 | +0.93 |
| 11 to 22Middle | 3 | 6.3 | 53 | +0.37 |
| 23 to 32Bottom-10 | 3 | 4.7 | 53 | +1.03 |
| All games | 9 | 5.4 | 54 | +0.74 |
Yards against the rank of the defense
His production barely moves with the opponent (r = 0.02); it has traveled.
Careerseason by season, back to his rookie year
His best year was 2023, 889 receiving yards in 17 games. This season's 54.3 a game puts him on pace for 924 over 17, a career high.
| Season | Team | G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | Y/R | Yds/g | EPA/tgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | DET | 17 | 120 | 86 | 889 | 10 | 10.3 | 52.3 | +0.34 |
| 2024 | DET | 16 | 83 | 60 | 726 | 7 | 12.1 | 45.4 | +0.38 |
| 2025 | DET | 9 | 49 | 40 | 489 | 3 | 12.2 | 54.3 | +0.74 |
| Career | 1 tm | 42 | 252 | 186 | 2,104 | 20 | 11.3 | 50.1 | +0.43 |
How this is measured
Regular season only, from nflverse weekly stats back to 1999. This season is partial and drawn hollow; the pace is his per-game rate over 17 games. Bold cells are career highs.
Intel & playsthe report, his best snaps, his teammates
- Depth chart
- not listed
- Injury report
- clean
- Red zone touches
- …
- Third down
- …
- Explosive plays
- …
- Drops
- 0 on 49 targets
- Broken tackles
- 5
- Passer rating when targeted
- 116.4
- Play action
- …
- Contested
- …
| Player | Touches | Yds | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|
 Jahmyr GibbsRB | 337 | 1839 · 18 TD | +15.1 |
 David MontgomeryRB | 187 | 908 · 8 TD | +3.6 |
 Amon-Ra St. BrownWR | 175 | 1410 · 11 TD | +56.2 |
 Jameson WilliamsWR | 108 | 1129 · 7 TD | +54.7 |
 Kalif RaymondWR | 32 | 308 · 1 TD | +16.8 |
 Isaac TeSlaaWR | 27 | 239 · 6 TD | +17.8 |
 Brock WrightTE | 22 | 108 · 2 TD | -1.9 |
 Jared GoffQB | 19 | 45 | -14.4 |