Lions’ TE Sam LaPorta did not practice today due to a calf injury.

Related Players: Brock Wright

This would be such a bummer if he were to miss Week 6, as the TE position is short on exciting options. We'll keep an eye on his progress through the end of the week.

Lions’ HC Dan Campbell said WR Amon-Ra St. Brown will not practice again today due to his abdomen injury, and the team expects to know more about his status for Sunday’s game vs. the Panthers in the next 24 hours.

Related Players: Josh Reynolds, Sam LaPorta, Jameson Williams, Marvin Jones

It's likely time to start considering contingency plans, as this is St. Brown's third-straight missed practice of the week. It would be interesting to see Jameson Williams immediately step into a heightened role, but considering he's been away from the team for most of the last year-and-a-half, that seems unlikely. Reynolds and LaPorta need to be boosted up your lineup considerations.

For a second straight day, Lions’ WR Amon-Ra St. Brown did not practice today due to his abdomen injury.

Related Players: Josh Reynolds, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, Kalif Raymond

Help is on the way, in a sense, with Jameson Williams returning from his suspension, but it's hard to believe he's up-to-speed after missing so much of the preseason. Josh Reynolds could get a boost in workload if St. Brown misses, as he's been on the field on 114 of Jared Goff's 138 2023 dropbacks (82.6%).

The fact that Sam LaPorta's a rookie playing one of the hardest positions in football makes what he’s doing all the more impressive. He’s been everything the Lions have wanted and more.

LaPorta leads all tight ends in receiving yards (186), ranks second in receptions (18) and third in yards after the catch (76). He’s been reliable, as eight of his 18 catches have gone for a first down. Of his 186 receiving yards, 129 have come in zone coverage, where he’s been able to find the soft spots and work in space (56 of his 76 YAC have come versus zone coverage). He’s the first tight end in NFL history to record at least five receptions in each of his first three games. His 18 receptions are the most for a tight end through his first three games, and his 186 yards are the second-most.

The Lions traded down from 6 to 12 in the NFL Draft this past spring. They passed on the likes of Bijan Robinson and selected Jahmyr Gibbs, but used the extra pick to select LaPorta, a player they saw as someone who could step in and replace T.J. Hockenson, who they traded to the Vikings. The story said LaPorta was one of the most game-ready players in the draft. He doesn't seem to be going away any time soon and it's possible he's still on the wire in your league as he's available in about 35% of ESPN leagues as of this news post.

Sam LaPorta has been taking first-team reps since Day 1 and doesn't look out of place at all. He's still got a lot to learn, but all indications are that he's a quick study and his receiving skills are really advanced for a young tight end. He's going to play a big role in this offense starting Week 1.

Related Players: Brock Wright, James Mitchell

You love to see it. For a team that set a tight end TD record despite trading away T.J. Hockenson halfway through the season, fantasy managers are expectedly excited for the rookie's fantasy prospects. Detroit TEs went for 784 yards on 93 targets last year. La Porta is firmly on streaming radars right out of the gate.

We knew it was only a matter of time before he emerged as TE1. The question was whether that would occur during the season or at some point before then. But at this rate, LaPorta looks like TE1. He’s quite obviously the most talented player at the position, and he received plenty of first-team reps Sunday. He might’ve already passed Brock Wright. The only thing holding him back would be the Lions trying to ease him into NFL action. But he looks ready to roll.

It's perfectly natural to be trepidatious about rookie tight ends performing in fantasy right away, but we've been proven wrong more in recent years, with specialized tight ends coming in and taking a much larger workload than they historically do. With no Jameson Williams for much of the year, it's very possible that LaPorta can carve out a role in the offense right away.

As of now, he's a back-end TE2 option, but streaming weeks are certainly in the cards if he's taking a majority of the tight end snaps.

The Lions will be patient with Sam LaPorta, but he’s already shown enough physical tools to warrant immediate snaps. If the mental side catches up, he could be the starting tight end in Week 1.

Related Players: Brock Wright, James Mitchell

Rookie tight ends notoriously take a long time to get up to speed, but if LaPorta is starting in Week 1, he finds himself in a great offensive environment. Lions tight ends set the receiving touchdown record last season, despite trading away TE1 T.J. Hockenson.