As the fantasy football season approaches, it’s helpful to know how the player market has changed since we drafted last summer. What players can you get at a discount compared to the previous year? Which names have fallen down the board? Identifying which players’ ADPs (average draft position) have dipped from a year ago can help shape your potential strategy going into drafts.
The 2024 ADP data comes from fantasydata.com, while the 2025 data originates from Fantasy Pros’ consensus ADPs across multiple platforms. Both sets of data are based on full PPR leagues. We finish our discounts series by putting the spotlight on the Tight End position. Two rather significant discounts stand out among this group.
Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
2024 ADP: 29
2025 ADP: 74
The 2024 expectations for LaPorta going into his second year couldn’t have been higher after his record-breaking rookie season. Injuries, however, forced the Iowa product to get off to a slow start. Laporta suffered a thigh/hamstring pull in training camp, followed by an ankle sprain in Week 3 and an AC joint sprain in Week 10. While none of the injuries were season-ending, they appeared to slow him down significantly.
From Week 12 on, when his health finally started to get back to normal, LaPorta put his foot on the gas and finished 2024 on a strong note. According to Fantasy Life’s Dwain McFarland, LaPorta had an 87% route participation rate (superb for Tight Ends) and averaged 14 PPR fantasy points per game during the home stretch. That 14 PPG mark is the same amount he averaged during his historically good rookie season.
LaPorta’s health hampered a decent portion of 2024, and as long as he’s healthy going into this season, he’s got a great shot at producing at a high level while coming at a discount in drafts.
I acknowledge the concerns with LaPorta. A change of play caller and a potentially growing role for wide receiver Jameson Williams that could cut into his target share are atop the list of question marks when it comes to the tight end. However, even once LaPorta’s season turned around from Week 12 on, Williams played in each of those games. It’s not like he was hurt and his target share was up for grabs. There’s a precedent for LaPorta to find success in 2024, even with Williams on the field and getting his piece of the pie.
Even if you do expect Williams’ role to continue to increase, you can argue that’s being priced into his ADP. We’re not using a premium third-round pick like we were forced to a year ago. Instead, LaPorta gives you a guy who’s proven he can be an elite producer at the Tight End position in the sixth or seventh round.
I don’t want to overlook this last point. We don’t have to project LaPorta turning into a top-tier player at his position. We’ve already seen him do it during his rookie season. I’ve heard the argument that if you don’t get the consensus top three Tight Ends, it makes more sense to wait until later in drafts to target the position. While I like some of the later Tight End options, some of those guys (Colston Loveland, Tyler Warren, and Jonnu Smith, for example) are much closer to projections or find themselves in more questionable offensive situations compared to LaPorta. He’s a proven player coming at a sale price, maybe the best of both worlds.
Evan Engram, Denver Broncos
2024 ADP: 71
2025 ADP: 104
Sean Payton and the Broncos made Engram a priority signing early in free agency shortly after he was released by Jacksonville. The fantasy market obviously has some concerns regarding Engram, as he currently comes at a 30+ pick discount compared to last year.
Turning 31 years old in September and uncertain usage in a new offensive environment highlight the main question marks surrounding Engram, but I’d argue those concerns are being priced into his discount. A 9th-round ADP for a guy that’s shown he can be plenty productive, especially in full PPR leagues, is an investment I’m willing to make.
Something we should all think about when it comes to Tight Ends is their path to being second on their team in targets. What does that path look like? For Engram, his road is a lot clearer compared to other later-round Tight Ends. The Broncos lack a proven #2 wide receiver behind Courtland Sutton. Engram could easily turn into Bo Nix’s second-favorite passing target. According to Matt Harmon of Yahoo! and Reception Perception, Courtland Sutton ran a route on 90.5% of dropbacks last season, while no other player exceeded 50%. This hole in Denver’s passing attack leaves ample opportunity for Engram to make an immediate impact in this offense.
Sean Payton noted at the end of last season that he was hoping to find a player to fulfill his “joker” role, a versatile pass catcher who can line up all over the field. Engram fits this role perfectly. Harmon noted that Engram ran around 38% of his routes from in-line, 40.5% from the slot, and 21% of the time he lined up out wide, based on Fantasy Points data. The 2017 first-rounder gives Payton and the Broncos coaching staff plenty of ways for them to get creative with how he’s deployed. Sean Payton valued the addition of Engram, so why shouldn’t we value adding him to our fantasy teams at a discount?
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