Sam LaPorta Week 1 Outlook - Lions at Chiefs

By Derek Brown (FantasyPros), Sun, Sep 10th 2023, 12:05pm EDT

Sammy Ballgame could have people deleting their "rookie tight ends never produce" tweets immediately in Week 1. Ballgame was a beast in college, ranking seventh in yards per route run and sixth in receiving grade in his final collegiate season. He lined up in the slot or out wide on 50.6% of his snaps, which makes him a perfect fit for T.J. Hockenson's old role. Last year with the Lions, Hockenson spent 54.5% of his snaps in the slot or as a perimeter wide receiver. Ballgame is a monster after the catch, ranking third in YAC and second in missed tackles forced last year among tight ends. Ballgame should have a field day against a defense with the 13th-highest missed tackles allowed rate last year while also giving up the tenth-highest yards per reception and MOST fantasy points in the NFL to slot tight ends. LaPorta is a TE2 that could post strong TE1 numbers in Week 1.