Should I start Sam LaPorta or Kyle Pitts Sr. in Week 9?

The market-based projections

Sam LaPorta's market-based projection is 10.0 PPR points a game, built from 3 markets across 10 market sources. That is the 73rd highest figure of the 219 players with a market-based projection.

Kyle Pitts Sr.'s market-based projection is 9.6 PPR points a game, built from 3 markets across 13 market sources. That is the 77th highest figure of the 219 players with a market-based projection.

Where the draft room stands

Live drafts hold no current pick on Sam LaPorta, and the board ranks him 74th overall on the rest of his evidence.

Live drafts hold no current pick on Kyle Pitts Sr., and the board ranks him 80th overall on the rest of his evidence.

This season through Week 8

Through Week 8, Sam LaPorta has been on the field for 90 percent of DET snaps, drawn 18 percent of the targets and had 12 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 8 of the offence's 60 third down targets, had 2 of its 22 chances inside the five and seen 4 of its 30 two minute targets.

His 44 targets have averaged 6.1 air yards.

In Week 5 against ARI he caught 5 of 5 targets for 88 yards and scored 1 touchdown.

In Week 7 against GB he caught 1 of 2 targets for 18 yards and did not score.

In Week 8 against MIN he carried 1 time for 2 yards, caught 3 of 5 targets for 33 yards and did not score.

Through Week 8, Kyle Pitts Sr. has been on the field for 55 percent of ATL snaps, drawn 18 percent of the targets and had 14 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 3 of the offence's 15 third down targets, had 1 of its 2 chances inside the five and seen 1 of its 8 two minute targets.

His 10 targets have averaged 2.6 air yards.

In Week 7 against SF he caught 5 of 5 targets for 22 yards and scored 1 touchdown.

In Week 8 against TB he caught 2 of 5 targets for 6 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 Kyle Pitts Sr. played 17 games and scored 210.8 PPR points, 12.4 a game, finishing TE2.

He caught 88 of 118 targets for 928 yards and 5 touchdowns, with 11 red zone targets.

That came to 6.9 targets a game, a 75 percent catch rate and 11 yards a catch.

He was on the field for 87 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

Kyle Pitts Sr. was available for 8 games more.

Head to head

In 2025 Kyle Pitts Sr. scored 12.4 PPR points a game and Sam LaPorta 11.9, 0.5 a game between them.

Sam LaPorta finished TE27 that year and Kyle Pitts Sr. TE2.

Kyle Pitts Sr. had 69 more targets than Sam LaPorta, 118 to 49.

Kyle Pitts Sr. had 439 more receiving yards than Sam LaPorta, 928 to 489.

This season Sam LaPorta holds the bigger snap share, 90 percent against 55 percent.

Their target share this season is the same, 18 percent each.

Byes and availability

Sam LaPorta is off in Week 6 and Kyle Pitts Sr. in Week 11, so either can cover the other's bye.

What would change the answer

0.4 points a game is the entire case. The market restates it every week, and a line that moves moves the order with it.

The draft market is the half that is missing: when live drafts hold these two again they can order them differently from the projection, and this page will follow the drafts rather than the market-based projection when they do.