Sam LaPorta or Josh Downs: who should I start in Week 3?

What the sportsbooks price

The player markets price Sam LaPorta at 11.5 PPR points a game, built from 3 markets across 15 books. That is the 79th highest figure of the 186 players the books price.

The player markets price Josh Downs at 11.4 PPR points a game, built from 4 markets across 15 books. That is the 80th highest figure of the 186 players the books price.

Where the draft room stands

Drafters have formed no consensus on Sam LaPorta: he carries no ADP, and the board ranks him 57th overall on the rest of his evidence.

In 2QB drafts he goes at ADP 128.

Drafters have formed no consensus on Josh Downs: he carries no ADP, and the board ranks him 58th overall on the rest of his evidence.

In 2QB drafts he goes at ADP 126.

This season through Week 2

Through Week 2, Sam LaPorta has been on the field for 89 percent of DET snaps, drawn 19 percent of the targets and had 15 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 2 of the offence's 18 third down targets, had 2 of its 9 chances inside the five and seen 1 of its 11 two minute targets.

His 15 targets have averaged 2.0 air yards.

In Week 1 against NO he caught 5 of 8 targets for 48 yards and did not score.

In Week 2 against BUF he caught 6 of 7 targets for 52 yards and scored 1 touchdown.

Through Week 2, Josh Downs has been on the field for 86 percent of IND snaps, drawn 22 percent of the targets and had 11 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 6 of the offence's 13 third down targets, had 0 of its 6 chances inside the five and seen 2 of its 6 two minute targets.

His 13 targets have averaged 8.4 air yards.

In Week 1 against BAL he caught 2 of 4 targets for 37 yards and did not score.

In Week 2 against KC he caught 7 of 9 targets for 72 yards and did not score.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025 Sam LaPorta played 9 games and scored 106.9 PPR points, 11.9 a game, finishing TE27.

He caught 40 of 49 targets for 489 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 4 red zone targets.

That came to 5.4 targets a game, a 82 percent catch rate and 12.2 yards a catch.

He was on the field for 90 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

In 2025 Josh Downs played 16 games and scored 136.4 PPR points, 8.5 a game, finishing WR44.

He caught 58 of 88 targets for 566 yards and 4 touchdowns, with 14 red zone targets.

That came to 5.5 targets a game, a 66 percent catch rate and 9.8 yards a catch.

He was on the field for 58 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

Josh Downs was available for 7 games more.

Side by side

In 2025 Sam LaPorta scored 11.9 PPR points a game and Josh Downs 8.5, 3.4 a game between them.

Sam LaPorta finished TE27 and Josh Downs WR44, which are two different ladders.

Sam LaPorta is a tight end and Josh Downs a wide receiver, so the question is which slot you fill first rather than which of them is better.

Byes and availability

Sam LaPorta is off in Week 6 and Josh Downs in Week 13, so either can cover the other's bye.

What would change the answer

0.1 points a game is the entire case. The books restate it every week, and a line that moves moves the order with it.

The draft market is the half that is missing: when the consensus sample holds these two again it can order them differently from the price, and this page will follow the sample rather than the books when it does.