Sam LaPorta vs T.J. Hockenson: Who Should You Start?
Two tight ends who will land on plenty of the same rosters in 2026. Sam LaPorta (Detroit Lions) finished the 2025 season averaging 9.7 fantasy points per game in 9 games. T.J. Hockenson (Minnesota Vikings) came in at 5.8 PPG over 15 games. The gap is real but not insurmountable with the right matchup.
Sam LaPorta carries a 3.9-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. Sam LaPorta had 40 catches for 489 yards; T.J. Hockenson posted 51 for 438. At a position where most starters barely clear 7 PPG, this class of tight end is where the fantasy advantage lives week to week.
Sam LaPorta has his bye in Week 5, and T.J. Hockenson rests in Week 6. 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.
