The Detroit Lions will face the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding TE Sam LaPorta.
Is Sam LaPorta Playing in Week 17?
LaPorta is not listed on the injury report this week, so barring any setbacks, he is on track to play on Monday.
We’ll continue to monitor the Lions’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Sam LaPorta in Week 17?
At this point, Sam LaPorta isn’t going to cash in on our preseason hype, but he is trending in a strong direction at the right time. I think that stands to make this season a success for those who spent up early on him.
- Weeks 1-9: 3.3 targets per game (23rd among TEs)
- Weeks 10-16: 7.0 targets per game (seventh among TEs)
The volume is finally there, and it really hasn’t come at the cost of his teammates. LaPorta has reached double figures in PPR points in four straight games. With the Lions’ defense banged up at every level, I’m confident that this offense is going to be pushed consistently.
He may not have a clear path to being the top producer at the position right now, but he deserves to be locked in without a second thought.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 17 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Sam LaPorta’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 17
As of Sunday morning, LaPorta is projected to score 12.2 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 4.4 receptions for 50.3 yards and 0.5 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
PFN Insight on the 49ers' Defense
The decline of the 49ers' defense this season compared to the last two is a concern. Having been a top-seven unit each year between 2019 and 2022, they ranked 10th last year and have slipped further this season.
A week after posting their second-best grade of the season, the Niners regressed and posted their second-worst grade (69.1) in the Week 16 loss to the Dolphins. San Francisco has posted three "D" grades in the last five weeks after never doing that the first 11 weeks of the season.
The 49ers' run defense had another rough game, posting the fourth-worst success rate (45.2%) of Week 16 and the team's second-worst of the season. San Francisco ranks 27th in run success rate for the season, which is actually identical to where last year's much better unit ranked.
The Niners' final overall rank could drop should they choose to sit some banged-up veterans, such as Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, now that they've been formally eliminated from playoff contention.
For more insight on all other team defenses, head to our PFN Defense+ Metric Analysis.
Sam LaPorta’s Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 7:25 AM ET on Sunday, December 29. If you're in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Weekly Consensus Superflex Rankings.
Week 17 TE PPR Rankings
1) Brock Bowers | LV (at NO)
2) Trey McBride | ARI (at LAR)
3) George Kittle | SF (vs. DET)
4) Jonnu Smith | MIA (at CLE)
5) Sam LaPorta | DET (at SF)
6) Mark Andrews | BAL (at HOU)
7) Travis Kelce | KC (at PIT)
8) T.J. Hockenson | MIN (vs. GB)
9) Dalton Schultz | HOU (vs. BAL)
10) Pat Freiermuth | PIT (vs. KC)
11) Chigoziem Okonkwo | TEN (at JAX)
12) Tucker Kraft | GB (at MIN)
13) Dalton Kincaid | BUF (vs. NYJ)
14) Brenton Strange | JAX (vs. TEN)
15) Jake Ferguson | DAL (at PHI)
16) Hunter Henry | NE (vs. LAC)
17) Juwan Johnson | NO (vs. LV)
18) Stone Smartt | LAC (at NE)
19) Zach Ertz | WAS (vs. ATL)
20) Kyle Pitts | ATL (at WAS)
21) Mike Gesicki | CIN (vs. DEN)
22) Will Dissly | LAC (at NE)
23) Noah Gray | KC (at PIT)
24) Isaiah Likely | BAL (at HOU)
25) Grant Calcaterra | PHI (vs. DAL)
26) Cole Kmet | CHI (vs. SEA)
27) Austin Hooper | NE (vs. LAC)
28) Noah Fant | SEA (at CHI)
29) Ja'Tavion Sanders | CAR (at TB)
30) Foster Moreau | NO (vs. LV)
31) Tyler Higbee | LAR (vs. ARI)
32) Michael Mayer | LV (at NO)
33) Tommy Tremble | CAR (at TB)
34) Daniel Bellinger | NYG (vs. IND)
35) Dawson Knox | BUF (vs. NYJ)
36) Payne Durham | TB (vs. CAR)
37) Tyler Conklin | NYJ (at BUF)
38) Jordan Akins | CLE (vs. MIA)
Lions at 49ers Trends and Insights
Detroit Lions
Team: The Lions are unbeaten on the road, and success on the road has been a common trait on Super Bowl winners ... the past five Super Bowl champions won 81.3% of regular season road games
QB: Much gets made of the home/road splits for Jared Goff, but his QB+ in Detroit this year (81.1) is nearly identical to his grade away from his loyal fans (80.8).
Offense: The Lions and Bears combined for 557 yards of offense in the first half on Sunday. That’s the fourth most in a game this season – it’s the third most in a Lions game this season.
Defense: The Lions held the Bears to 20% on third downs, the fifth time this season that they have held an opponent to that rate or lower.
Fantasy: Amon-Ra St. Brown is the first Lion with multiple seasons of 100 catches,1,000 receiving yards, and 10 touchdown catches. How many players would you draft ahead of him in 2025?
Betting: The Lions' seven straight long rest spots have gone over the total, and they have covered 10 of their past 12 such games.
San Francisco 49ers
Team: In 2019, the 49ers made the Super Bowl and followed it up by winning seven fewer games than the year prior. They are 6-9 this season after making the Super Bowl last season (2023 regular season: 12-5 record).
QB: Brock Purdy’s birthday is on December 27th and one of his wishes will be to cure his recent struggles under pressure (last two games: nine-of-23 for 93 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions).
Offense: San Francisco has converted just 51.8% of their red zone trips into touchdowns this season, down from 67.2% a season ago.
Defense: The 49ers are allowing 31.1% more points per drive this year than last year (allowing a touchdown on 24.4% of drives)
Fantasy: Deebo Samuel Sr. has produced 15% below PPR expectations this season, the lowest rate of his otherwise very efficient career. His points per target (1.57) also sits at a career low, and his expected points per game are down 6.4% from a season ago.
Betting: San Francisco has failed to cover five straight long rest games (0-2 this season).