Sam LaPorta injury: What status means for Week 6

Game day update: LaPorta is offically active and will play.

Game day update: LaPorta is a game-time decision. Detroit is going to have him go through pre-game warmups to determine his status for Sunday’s matchup. Barring a setback, though, LaPorta is expected to play.

Nothing seems to slow down Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta. Until this week, when the rookie suffered a calf injury during Thursday’s practice this week. He was able to participate in Friday’s walkthrough, and the team labeled him as questionable on the official injury report.

LaPorta said on Friday that he expects to play in the Lions’ Week 6 road game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That’s hardly a confirmation, so you’ll want to keep a close eye on the news Sunday. That game is in the late slot, a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff, so it’d be smart to have a backup plan just in case.

Betting and DFS implications for Week 6

The Lions are favored by three this week, but the Bucs have been a surprisingly resilient team so far this season at 3-1. I’d still bet on the Lions beating the spread here—this is the toughest opponent the Bucs have faced since the Eagles back in Week 3, which they lost handily—but it’s a more difficult task without LaPorta. They’ll also be without running back Jahmyr Gibbs. So, if LaPorta can’t go this week, it might be worth a hedge on the Bucs.

Tampa Bay ranked 18th against opposing tight ends so far this season, and LaPorta’s proven himself to be a must-start player all season. I’d feel safe at this point having him in my DFS lineup, but you’ll want to have a backup plan in case he can’t play.

Brock Wright would be in line for more work if LaPorta can’t go this week. And with Gibbs out of action too, he wouldn’t be a bad option in DFS lineups if you’re looking for bargains, if LaPorta doesn’t play.