Start Sam LaPorta or Colston Loveland? Week 7

Updated Oct 20, 9:36 AM ET. Locks at kickoff, graded after. Week 8 answer posts Tuesday.

Loveland projects lower, 11.2 to 12.1, and still gets the call because it also weighs where drafters take each player: ADP 71 for Loveland, 111 for LaPorta.

Start

Colston Loveland

TE · CHI · vs NE

Market projects: 11.2; fantasy pts
NE D vs TE: 10.2; 7th fewest to TEs (2026)
Upside: High; 94 of 100 at TE
Snap share: 86%; Through Week 6
Target share: 15%; Through Week 6

Sit

Sam LaPorta

TE · DET · vs GB

Market projects: 12.1; fantasy pts
GB D vs TE: 9.8; 5th fewest to TEs (2026)
Upside: Rising; 76 of 100 at TE
Snap share: 88%; Through Week 5
Target share: 20%; Through Week 5

Should I drop Colston Loveland for Sam LaPorta?

Yes, on the rest of the season. Sam LaPorta projects 130 market-implied PPR points from Week 7 through Week 17 (11.8 a game over 11 games), Colston Loveland 91 (9.1 a game over 10 games). For Week 7 the call starts Colston Loveland over Sam LaPorta. So make the move after his Week 7 game.

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Our Week 7 call

Start Colston Loveland over Sam LaPorta in Week 7.

Market-based projections have Colston Loveland at 11.2 points and Sam LaPorta at 12.1, a gap of 1.0. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip. Colston Loveland still gets the call because it also weighs where drafters take each player, ADP 71 against 111, and that outweighs a gap this size.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 12.1 fantasy points for Sam LaPorta, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market-based projection for Sam LaPorta is 51 receiving yards, 4-5 receptions and 0.4 touchdowns (7, 7 and 8 market sources).

Player markets imply 11.2 fantasy points for Colston Loveland, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market-based projection for Colston Loveland is 44 receiving yards, 4-5 receptions and 0.4 touchdowns (13, 11 and 13 market sources).

That puts Sam LaPorta 1.0 points ahead of Colston Loveland on the market projections.

Week 7 matchups

Sam LaPorta and DET host GB on Sunday at 4:25 PM ET.

GB allowed 9.8 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 6 games, the 5th fewest in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 35 yards and 0.3 touchdowns a game against GB.

Colston Loveland and CHI host NE on Thursday at 8:15 PM ET.

NE allowed 10.2 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 6 games, the 7th fewest in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 47 yards and 0.2 touchdowns a game against NE.

By points allowed to the position, Colston Loveland has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Sam LaPorta is not on the injury report.

Colston Loveland is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 7

Through Week 5, Sam LaPorta played 88 percent of DET snaps, drew 20 percent of the targets, earned 15 percent of the air yards and had 13 percent of the red zone chances.

Sam LaPorta, Week 2 against BUF: 64 of 65 snaps, 7 targets and 6 catches for 52 yards, 1 touchdown.

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.

Through Week 6, Colston Loveland played 86 percent of CHI snaps, drew 15 percent of the targets, earned 13 percent of the air yards and had 10 percent of the red zone chances.

Colston Loveland, Week 3 against PHI: 57 of 72 snaps, 4 targets and 4 catches for 31 yards.

Colston Loveland, Week 4 against NYJ: 86 of 93 snaps, 9 targets and 6 catches for 57 yards.

Colston Loveland, Week 5 against GB: 55 of 69 snaps, 5 targets and 2 catches for 19 yards.

Colston Loveland, Week 6 against ATL: 68 of 77 snaps, 7 targets and 6 catches for 65 yards, 1 touchdown.

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, Colston Loveland played 16 games for CHI and scored 165.1 PPR points, 10.3 a game, finishing TE12.

He caught 58 of 82 targets for 713 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 14 red zone targets and 463 air yards.

He was on the field for 63 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 7 calls

Locks at kickoff, graded after. When the start/sit engine grades week 7, the call and the result appear on the public record, wrong ones included.

Drop or keep

Should I drop Colston Loveland for Sam LaPorta?
Yes, on the rest of the season. Sam LaPorta projects 130 market-implied PPR points from Week 7 through Week 17 (11.8 a game over 11 games), Colston Loveland 91 (9.1 a game over 10 games). For Week 7 the call starts Colston Loveland over Sam LaPorta. So make the move after his Week 7 game.
Should I drop Sam LaPorta for Colston Loveland?
No. Keep Sam LaPorta: he projects 130 market-implied PPR points from Week 7 through Week 17 (11.8 a game over 11 games), Colston Loveland 91 (9.1 a game over 10 games). For Week 7 the call starts Colston Loveland over Sam LaPorta.