Dynasty Fantasy Football Trading Post: Sam LaPorta
When I started out writing last week’s article about Tyjae Spears, I thought I was going to be writing an article about a player to acquire who will gain value so you can unload him before the season starts. It turned out I was already behind the game with Spears. But that got me thinking of players who are at peak value that we could trade away right now and feel like we are walking away winners. This doesn’t necessarily mean that we think this player isn’t good, won’t keep their value, or even won’t score on a high level. This just means that the dynasty value of a player has gotten to the point where we can get more in return than we think that player is truly worth to your roster.
One of the most common times to trade away a player at their maximum value is when they literally hit the highest value they can reach, the first at their position. Now remember, I said that this doesn’t mean I don’t like the player, this doesn’t mean I don’t think this player is good, this doesn’t mean this player won’t keep scoring a lot of fantasy points, and this doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve to be ranked where he is. Just please don’t get upset with me when I say now is the perfect time to see what you can get to trade away…
Sam LaPorta, TE DET
Coming into rookie drafts, LaPorta was in my favorite situation. I had him ranked as my favorite tight end but the community was so high on Dalton Kincaid and his landing spot in Buffalo that I didn’t have to take LaPorta as the tight end one. This also meant I drafted a whole lot of shares. Of course, I cannot take credit to say that I thought he would have the rookie season that he did but I was absolutely thrilled to watch it unfold. As a 23-year-old rookie, the Lions tight end finished as the highest-scoring TE in .5 PPR leagues. When you add age, production, and situation together it is easy to see why you could have LaPorta as your TE1, and DLF ADP agrees.
The question we are trying to answer is not if he belongs as the TE1 but if that being the TE1 should hold as much value as it does. Over the past few seasons, Travis Kelce held the TE1 crown and would finish the season anywhere from seven to twelve points per game ahead of the TE1. In my opinion, this made him worthy of being the dynasty TE1, regardless of age, and made him worth that value on my roster.
Do we think LaPorta is capable of being that big of an advantage at his position? Do we think having the positional advantage at tight end is enough to hold onto all that dynasty value on our rosters? The easiest way to solve the second question is to look to the DLF Trade Finder and Trade Analyzer to see what trades are going down and see how his value stacks up.
12 team, Superflex, PPR, start 10.
It is the first trade on the Trade Finder and already I am being hit right in the personal bias. I am a big fan of Breece Hall. I am not a big fan of paying up for running backs and especially not a fan of paying for running backs in the off-season. This just feels too good to pass up. Even my brain immediately started to say, “Well, if you are rebuilding…”, but the truth is value is still value regardless of where it is coming from.
As I say, whenever talking about running backs in the off-season, it is all about having the patience to hold onto them and trade them away as the point-scoring season is about to roll around and players who are valued to score points reach their max. Hall is a top-three running back in my mind and to me, that is definitely worth more than the edge LaPorta gives as the TE1, especially in a league with no premium scoring for tight ends.
12 team, Superflex, PPR, TE premium, start 10.
This will be a common question: “What is LaPorta worth in the 2024 draft class?” It looks like this trade got it exactly right according to the Trade Analyzer. We know by now that Analyzer values are just one piece of the puzzle. Let me slip into my therapist’s chair, slide my glasses down my nose, fold my hands together, and ask: “and how does that make you feel?”.
As of right now, we have three very highly rated quarterbacks and two or three very highly rated wide receivers in this coming rookie draft. You have to stop and think where you would slide LaPorta into that mix. Would you take him over whoever you have ranked as your QB3? Would you take him over Marvin Harrison Jr? Would you take him over Brock Bowers? Honestly, I think the 1.03 is probably the right value but I just think holding on to that pick right now is the right move.
With so many high-profile prospects expected to be drafted in the top ten of the NFL Draft, it seems like the value of the pick can spike even higher from where it is now. Of course, if you believe in LaPorta and believe that he belongs at his value, then paying what is a fair price for him sounds perfect and this is a deal you should do from that angle. But based on pure value I side with the pick.
12 team, Superflex, PPR, start 10.
I will start off by saying that it does not bother me at all to have two players from the same NFL team on my fantasy roster. The Detroit Lions offense is potent enough to be able to support both of these players and allow them to be at the top of their positions. Next, we have to acknowledge that the Analyzer shows this as being heavily in favor of CeeDee Lamb, which it should.
When trading multiple assets for only one, the value should lie on the multiple side. Lamb finally took that step to show that he was an elite-producing wide receiver. This trade is the perfect example of this article just from another viewpoint. The Cowboys wide receiver pushed himself into the top tier of his position so why not explore to see what you can get for him on the market? We have already established that LaPorta is at the top of the tight ends and in my opinion, Jahmyr Gibbs lands in the top three of his position as well. This is another trade where regardless of the situation of your dynasty roster I would take the package side. No trade is ever your last, take those super valuable pieces and keep rolling them into more trades!
There is definitely a battle in my mind between celebrating having a player who is at the top of their position and wanting to trade players at the peak of their value. I will absolutely not be trading away every share of Sam LaPorta but there are definitely a few teams that need to get stronger before they are ready to compete and those are the teams I will be exploring trading him away. The important thing to remember is just because it is a good time to trade a player away doesn’t mean you sell just to sell. You need to make sure you are getting the value you deserve otherwise you aren’t helping yourself.
- Dynasty Fantasy Football Trading Post: Late First Round Picks - April 18, 2024
- Dynasty Fantasy Football Trading Post: CJ Stroud - April 11, 2024
- Dynasty Fantasy Football Trading Post: 2025 First-Round Pick - April 4, 2024
