Sam LaPorta is the latest fantasy-relevant player to go on injured reserve this week. After a dominant rookie campaign, his overall numbers declined the following season, in part due to Jameson Williams' rise. But that doesn't tell the whole story. LaPorta's 1.99 fantasy points per target in 2023 actually improved to 2.10 in 2024. Jared Goff's QB rating when targeting him also jumped. His drop rate fell by about 70%.
The narrative that he wasn't as good in Year 2 doesn't fly. Had he earned a target share similar to Year 1, he probably would have dominated.
This year his been, in some tangible ways, a career year, as he's averaging 2.18 fantasy points per target. Goff's QB rating when targeting him is a blistering 128.7. The "problem," once again, is target share. He's earning only the NFL's 13th-most TE looks per game. It's hard to be elite or even near-elite with those numbers. Dynasty managers should consider the likelihood that LaPorta has settled into a consistent top-10 TE role, rather than expect a return to rookie-year greatness.
Good luck today.