Aaron Jones Sr. or Sam LaPorta: Who Should You Start?

Preliminary board

2026 Week 2 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.

Verdicts sharpen as practice reports land.

LaPorta's locked-in role beats Jones' thin margin for error

LaPorta wins because his every-down passing role gives him a dependable PPR foundation, while Jones is still sharing work despite his veteran lead-back label. The near-identical projections understate the difference: a one-point gap is meaningful at tight end when one player is TE8 with strong involvement and the other is RB35 with limited touch security. Jones' advantage is a friendlier path if Minnesota controls the game, but his modest target role makes that script necessary rather than merely helpful. Buffalo's secondary could be healthier with Branch and Joseph expected back after their PUP stints (ESPN 2026-09-02), yet LaPorta remains the better play.

What flips it: A clear workload increase for Jones or a late setback for LaPorta.

Sources: ESPN · Sep 2, 2026

AI editor

Aaron Jones Sr.

Aaron Jones Sr.

RB35MINvs CHI

Projected Points

Toss-Up· medium
Sam LaPorta

Sam LaPorta

TE8DETvs BUF

Projected Points

Start· high

Sam LaPorta’s market

REC
O/U 4.5
-101 / -126
Receptions Props →
REC YDS
O/U 45.5
-110 / -114
Receiving Yards Props →
ATD
Anytime TD
+225
Anytime Touchdown Props →
MIN@
CHISun, Sep 20, 1:00 PM ETView the game →
DET@
BUFThu, Sep 17, 8:15 PM ETView the game →

Why Aaron Jones Sr.

Toss-Up· medium

RB1 and veteran lead back. Balanced runner with reliable receiving chops, though workload now shared.

46% snap share and a 4% target share cap the PPR floor; RB35 at 11.2 projected is a bench-flex call in 12-team leagues.

  • Jones has a veteran lead-back profile, but the shared workload leaves little room for a quiet game.
  • Minnesota's modest scoring outlook makes his value especially dependent on converting limited chances.

The call

  • The role is a committee: 46% snap share and just a 4% target share mean he needs volume on the ground or a goal-line score to clear double digits — there's no receiving safety net.
  • Matchup is dead neutral (18 of 32 DvP, and that's off a 1-game sample with zero confidence), so nothing in the opponent profile pushes this either way.
  • A 21.0 implied team total with the team getting 3.5 points is a middling-to-negative script — trailing football shrinks early-down carries for a back who isn't catching passes.
  • Tipping point: if he's the clear goal-line back or the snap share climbs toward 60%, he's a flex start; as a coin-flip RB35 he's behind most 12-team flex alternatives.

Why Sam LaPorta

Start· high

TE1 and pass-catching mismatch. Reliable seam and intermediate target when healthy.

TE8 with a 21% target share and 81% snaps in a 24.8-point implied offense — LaPorta is a locked-in weekly starter regardless of a neutral matchup.

  • LaPorta's mismatch profile and passing role can hold up even if Detroit's rushing attack stalls.
  • His reliable intermediate role gives PPR managers a safer floor than Jones' committee workload.

The call

  • Role is everything at tight end and LaPorta's is elite: 81% snap share with a 21% target share makes him the clear No. 1 receiving option pattern in this offense.
  • Consensus has him TE8 at 11.1 projected points — that clears the bar for the TE slot in a 12-team PPR league without needing matchup help.
  • Buffalo grades middle of the pack against the position (16 of 32) on a one-game sample with zero confidence, so there is no matchup reason to fade him.
  • Detroit's 24.8 implied total with a 3-point spread points to a competitive, scoring game — the kind of script where LaPorta stays involved whether the Lions are chasing or protecting a lead.

Latest on LaPorta

Lions safeties Branch, Joseph expected to return after PUP stints

Lions starting safeties Brian Branch (Achilles) and Kerby Joseph (knee), who will both miss the first four games of the season, are expected to return at some point, according to GM Brad Holmes

ESPN · Sep 2, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Head-to-head stats

MetricAaron Jones Sr.Sam LaPorta
Projected points
Consensus rankRB35TE8
Opponent vs positionCHI · 18 of 321-game sampleBUF · 16 of 321-game sample
Rushing Yards16 of 32—
Rushing TDs15 of 32—
Rushing Attempts11 of 32—
Receptions12 of 3229 of 32
Receiving Yards31 of 3221 of 32
Anytime TD22 of 321 of 32
Receiving TDs—1 of 32
Targets—30 of 32
Target share4%21%
Reception share0%19%
Implied total · spread21.0+3.524.8+3.0
Depth chartRB1TE1
Snap share46%81%
Start/Sit record0–0+2 toss-ups0–1

Recent form

Aaron Jones Sr. — last 1 week

Week 1vs GB

Sam LaPorta — last 1 week

Week 1vs NO

Signal breakdown

  • 11.2 vs 11.1 projected PPR pointsAaron Jones Sr. +
  • Rank 35 vs 8Sam LaPorta +
  • Opponent DvP rank 18 vs 16 (32 = softest)even
  • Implied 21.0 vs 24.8 team pointsSam LaPorta +
  • No injury designationseven
  • 46% vs 81% snap shareSam LaPorta +

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