Start Sam LaPorta or Brock Bowers? Week 8

Our Week 8 call

Start Brock Bowers over Sam LaPorta in Week 8.

Market-based projections have Brock Bowers at 17.8 points and Sam LaPorta at 11.9, a gap of 5.9. No player market is posted for Brock Bowers this week yet, so his 17.8 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5, 6 and 7 (17.2, 19.0 and 17.2); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. Drafters take Brock Bowers at ADP 49 and Sam LaPorta at 111.

What the market projects

No Week 8 player market is posted for Brock Bowers yet. His market-based projections were 17.2, 19.0 and 17.2 points in Weeks 5, 6 and 7, an average of 17.8, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

The market-based projection for Brock Bowers is 0.6 touchdowns (6 market sources).

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).

That puts Brock Bowers 5.9 points ahead of Sam LaPorta on these projections.

Week 8 matchups

Brock Bowers and LV visit NYJ on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

NYJ allowed 10.4 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 7 games, the 6th fewest in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 48 yards and 0.1 touchdowns a game against NYJ.

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.

By points allowed to the position, Brock Bowers has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Brock Bowers is not on the injury report.

Sam LaPorta is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 8

Through Week 7, Brock Bowers played 83 percent of LV snaps, drew 26 percent of the targets, earned 32 percent of the air yards and had 14 percent of the red zone chances.

Brock Bowers, Week 4 against KC: 69 of 84 snaps, 11 targets and 6 catches for 86 yards, 1 touchdown.

Brock Bowers, Week 5 against NE: 42 of 60 snaps, 10 targets and 8 catches for 110 yards, 1 touchdown.

Brock Bowers, Week 6 against BUF: 65 of 66 snaps, 9 targets and 4 catches for 70 yards.

Brock Bowers, Week 7 against LAR: 57 of 68 snaps, 8 targets and 6 catches for 73 yards.

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.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Brock Bowers played 12 games for LV and scored 176.2 PPR points, 14.7 a game, finishing TE11.

He caught 64 of 86 targets for 680 yards and 7 touchdowns, with 16 red zone targets and 375 air yards.

He was on the field for 85 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

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.

Their other Week 8 calls

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