Darnell Washington vs Sam LaPorta: Who Should You Start?
Sam LaPorta and Darnell Washington are at different tiers heading into 2026. The Detroit Lions tight end averaged 9.7 PPG in 2025, a full 6.1 points per game ahead of Darnell Washington's 3.6 with the Pittsburgh Steelers. That kind of gap doesn't close on matchup alone.
Sam LaPorta carries a 6.1-point PPG advantage from the 2025 season. That baseline matters, but it is one input among several. Matchup difficulty, scoring trends, and injury reports move the needle week to week, which is why the best answer changes depending on when you are asking.
Both see steady target volume for the tight end position. Darnell Washington had 31 catches for 364 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.
Darnell Washington has his bye in Week 9, 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.
