Quinshon Judkins or Sam LaPorta: Who Should You Start?

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

Start LaPorta — the consensus rank and game script edges are too wide to ignore.

Sam LaPorta is the higher consensus play (TE8 to RB19) and plays in the better game script (24.8 implied team points to 18.5). Judkins's edge is the projection, 12.0 to 11.2. The gap is comfortable.

Quinshon Judkins

Quinshon Judkins

RB19CLEvs TB

Projected Points

Toss-Up
Sam LaPorta

Sam LaPorta

TE8DETvs BUF

Projected Points

Start· high

Quinshon Judkins’s market

RUSH YDS
O/U 47.5
-115 / -109
Rushing Yards Props →
REC
O/U 2.5
+134 / -180
Receptions Props →
REC YDS
O/U 12.5
-114 / -114
Receiving Yards Props →
ATD
Anytime TD
+140
Anytime Touchdown Props →

Sam LaPorta’s market

REC
O/U 4.5
+100 / -127
Receptions Props →
REC YDS
O/U 45.5
-115 / -115
Receiving Yards Props →
ATD
Anytime TD
+220
Anytime Touchdown Props →
CLE@
TBSun, Sep 20, 1:00 PM ETView the game →
DET@
BUFThu, Sep 17, 8:15 PM ETView the game →

Why Quinshon Judkins

Toss-Up

RB1 and feature back. Powerful one-cut runner with heavy volume and goal-line role.

Toss-up — RB19 consensus, projects RB26 this week: 18.5 implied team total caps the ceiling, 9% target share.

  • TB ranks 19 of 32 against RBs (a middle-of-the-road matchup, 1-game sample).
  • Vegas implies 18.5 team points as 5.5-point underdogs.
  • Listed RB on the latest depth chart with a 65% snap share.

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.

  • BUF ranks 16 of 32 against TEs (a middle-of-the-road matchup, 1-game sample).
  • Vegas implies 24.8 team points as 3.0-point underdogs.
  • Listed TE on the latest depth chart with a 81% snap share.

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.

Head-to-head stats

MetricQuinshon JudkinsSam LaPorta
Projected points
Consensus rankRB19TE8
Opponent vs positionTB · 19 of 321-game sampleBUF · 16 of 321-game sample
Rushing Yards12 of 32—
Rushing TDs15 of 32—
Rushing Attempts16 of 32—
Receptions30 of 3229 of 32
Receiving Yards28 of 3221 of 32
Anytime TD13 of 321 of 32
Receiving TDs—1 of 32
Targets—30 of 32
Target share9%21%
Reception share13%19%
Implied total · spread18.5+5.524.8+3.0
Depth chartRB1TE1
Snap share65%81%
Start/Sit record0–10–1

Recent form

Quinshon Judkins — last 1 week

Week 1vs JAX

Sam LaPorta — last 1 week

Week 1vs NO

Signal breakdown

  • 12.0 vs 11.2 projected PPR pointsQuinshon Judkins +
  • Rank 19 vs 8Sam LaPorta +
  • Opponent DvP rank 19 vs 16 (32 = softest)even
  • Implied 18.5 vs 24.8 team pointsSam LaPorta +
  • No injury designationseven
  • 65% vs 81% snap shareSam LaPorta +

Compare different players

Week 2222 players
Player A
vs
Player B

Every fantasy-relevant player this week — search or filter by position.

More Judkins comparisons

More LaPorta comparisons

This week’s toughest calls

Start/Sit Board•Weekly Rankings•Streamers•Sleepers & Busts•Waiver Wire•My Team•MLB NRFI Board•Free Tools•NFL Props•NFL Games

Get a Start/Sit call on your whole roster →

Save your team once and see a Start, Sit, or Toss-Up verdict on every player, every week — with the matchup, usage and game-script evidence behind each call.

Add to My Team — free

Or browse this week’s NFL games or NFL player props.