Start Sam LaPorta or Dalton Kincaid? Week 8

Our Week 8 call

Start Sam LaPorta over Dalton Kincaid in Week 8.

Market-based projections have Sam LaPorta at 11.9 points and Dalton Kincaid at 12.2, a gap of 0.3. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip. Sam LaPorta still gets the call because it also weighs where drafters take each player, ADP 111 against 158, and that outweighs a gap this size. No player market is posted for Dalton Kincaid this week yet, so his 12.2 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5 and 6 (12.4 and 12.0); the call is rebuilt when his market posts.

What the market projects

No Week 8 player market is posted for Dalton Kincaid yet. His market-based projections were 12.4 and 12.0 points in Weeks 5 and 6, an average of 12.2, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

The market-based projection for Dalton Kincaid is 0.4 touchdowns (7 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 Dalton Kincaid 0.3 points ahead of Sam LaPorta on these projections.

Week 8 matchups

Dalton Kincaid and BUF host BAL on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

BAL allowed 12.3 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 7 games, the 13th fewest in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 39 yards and 0.7 touchdowns a game against BAL.

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, Dalton Kincaid has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Dalton Kincaid is listed as questionable with a ribs injury.

Sam LaPorta is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 8

Through Week 6, Dalton Kincaid played 68 percent of BUF snaps, drew 18 percent of the targets, earned 18 percent of the air yards and had 8 percent of the red zone chances.

Dalton Kincaid, Week 3 against LAC: 44 of 66 snaps, 3 targets and 2 catches for 38 yards.

Dalton Kincaid, Week 4 against NE: 35 of 59 snaps, 2 targets and 1 catch for 7 yards.

Dalton Kincaid, Week 5 against LAR: 45 of 64 snaps, 2 targets and 1 catch for 7 yards.

Dalton Kincaid, Week 6 against LV: 49 of 68 snaps, 8 targets and 7 catches for 38 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, Dalton Kincaid played 12 games for BUF and scored 126.1 PPR points, 10.5 a game, finishing TE20.

He caught 39 of 49 targets for 571 yards and 5 touchdowns, with 6 red zone targets and 312 air yards.

He was on the field for 40 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 Dalton Kincaid.
• Start Colston Loveland over Dalton Kincaid.
• Start Dallas Goedert over Dalton Kincaid.
• Start Sam LaPorta over Brenton Strange.
• Start Brock Bowers over Sam LaPorta.
• Start Sam LaPorta over Cade Otton.