The Detroit Lions offense was one the biggest surprises of the 2022 season. Led by Jared Goff, the Lions averaged 26 points per game and used two of their first three picks in the draft on offense. The Lions are favored to win the NFC North division this season, and one reason for it is because of their offense.
Amon-Ra St. Brown is the team’s No. 1 receiving option, and outside of him, the No. 2 spot is wide open for grabs. The team was hoping that Jameson Williams could step in and fill that void, but will miss the first six games of the year due to suspension. The Lions used a second-round pick on Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta. He will be TE 1 for his team this season. Let’s take a look at his potential and possibility of being a sleeper in 2023.
2023 Fantasy Football sleepers
Sam LaPorta, TE, Detroit Lions
LaPorta came from the University of Iowa, which has turned into Tight End U. Rookie tight ends tend to have a steep learning curve before they can contribute. However, he was pretty consistent during offseason workouts, and many people believe that he will be able to contribute from day one. If he can, there are plenty of targets available for him.
The Lions have a few veterans at receiver but no weapons that pop and be a game changer. There is hope that RB Jahmyr Gibbs will be used as a weapon in the receiving option, but it remains to be seen how much they will use him in that role. At Iowa, he caught 58 passes for 657 yards and one touchdown. If you know anything about Iowa’s offense, then you would know how impressive that is. Watching Iowa’s offense was like watching paint dry.
In PPR leagues, LaPorta will have some value and start as a low-end TE2 with TE1 potential. If he can handle the workload, he will receive the targets. He should see around six or seven targets per game giving him value as a low buy. LaPorta should be a low buy-in dynasty and keeper leagues as well.