Colby Parkinson vs Sam LaPorta: Who Should You Start?
Colby Parkinson and Sam LaPorta are both viable fantasy tight ends heading into 2026, but their 2025 production tells two different stories. Colby Parkinson averaged 7.2 PPG across 15 games with the Los Angeles Rams, while Sam LaPorta posted 9.7 PPG in 9 appearances for the Detroit Lions.
A 2.5-PPG gap gives Sam LaPorta the edge on paper, but paper does not account for Thursday night matchups, weather games, or a star defender returning from injury. The real question is not who was better in 2025, but who is the better start this specific week.
Both see steady target volume for the tight end position. Colby Parkinson had 43 catches for 408 yards; Sam LaPorta posted 40 for 489. At a position where most starters barely clear 7 PPG, this class of tight end is where the fantasy advantage lives week to week.
Colby Parkinson has his bye in Week 6, and Sam LaPorta rests in Week 5. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at tight end for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
