Start Sam LaPorta or Brenton Strange? Week 8

Our Week 8 call

Start Sam LaPorta over Brenton Strange in Week 8.

Market-based projections have Sam LaPorta at 11.9 points and Brenton Strange at 8.6, a gap of 3.3. No player market is posted for Brenton Strange this week yet, so his 8.6 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5 and 6 (8.3 and 8.8); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. Drafters take Sam LaPorta at ADP 111 and Brenton Strange at 202.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 11.9 fantasy points for Sam LaPorta, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market-based projection for Sam LaPorta is 52 receiving yards, 4-5 receptions and 0.4 touchdowns (10, 8 and 12 market sources).

No Week 8 player market is posted for Brenton Strange yet. His market-based projections were 8.3 and 8.8 points in Weeks 5 and 6, an average of 8.6, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

The market-based projection for Brenton Strange is 0.4 touchdowns (7 market sources).

That puts Sam LaPorta 3.3 points ahead of Brenton Strange on these projections.

Week 8 matchups

Sam LaPorta and DET host MIN on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

MIN allowed 6.9 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 6 games, the fewest in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 39 yards and no touchdowns a game against MIN.

Brenton Strange and JAX host IND on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

IND allowed 13.7 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 7 games, the 13th most in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 45 yards and 0.7 touchdowns a game against IND.

By points allowed to the position, Brenton Strange has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Sam LaPorta is not on the injury report.

Brenton Strange is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 8

Through Week 7, Sam LaPorta played 89 percent of DET snaps, drew 18 percent of the targets, earned 14 percent of the air yards and had 12 percent of the red zone chances.

Sam LaPorta, Week 3 against NYJ: 60 of 65 snaps, 4 targets and 3 catches for 44 yards.

Sam LaPorta, Week 4 against CAR: 56 of 71 snaps, 13 targets and 8 catches for 84 yards, 1 touchdown.

Sam LaPorta, Week 5 against ARI: 59 of 66 snaps, 5 targets and 5 catches for 88 yards, 1 touchdown.

Sam LaPorta, Week 7 against GB: 66 of 68 snaps, 2 targets and 1 catch for 18 yards.

Through Week 6, Brenton Strange played 79 percent of JAX snaps, drew 19 percent of the targets, earned 17 percent of the air yards and had 5 percent of the red zone chances.

Brenton Strange, Week 3 against NE: 48 of 62 snaps, 5 targets and 3 catches for 32 yards.

Brenton Strange, Week 4 against CIN: 53 of 61 snaps, 8 targets and 7 catches for 95 yards.

Brenton Strange, Week 5 against PHI: 58 of 72 snaps, 8 targets and 7 catches for 68 yards.

Brenton Strange, Week 6 against HOU: 54 of 71 snaps, 7 targets and 5 catches for 44 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Sam LaPorta played 9 games for DET 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 and 215 air yards.

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

In 2025, Brenton Strange played 12 games for JAX and scored 118.0 PPR points, 9.8 a game, finishing TE23.

He caught 46 of 60 targets for 540 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 9 red zone targets and 293 air yards.

He was on the field for 76 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 8 calls

• Start Brock Bowers over Sam LaPorta.
• Start Sam LaPorta over Cade Otton.
• Start Colston Loveland over Sam LaPorta.
• Start Brenton Strange over Cade Otton.
• Start Colston Loveland over Brenton Strange.
• Start Dallas Goedert over Brenton Strange.