Rico Dowdle or Sam LaPorta?
Who to start in Week 1, who is better for the rest of the season, and who carries more trade value — from the FantasyPros expert consensus and the LeagueLogs Market Index.
Week 1 · 2026 season · Consensus updated September 3 at 1:20 PM EDT
Connect your league and an AI analyst settles debates like this one against your actual roster.
The lean
- This week: Rico Dowdle
- Rest of season: Sam LaPorta — 58 of 113 experts
- Trade value: close to even
The horizons disagree, which is exactly when your roster context decides it.
| Rico Dowdle | Sam LaPorta | |
|---|---|---|
| Rest of season (overall) 55 of 113 experts rank Rico Dowdle ahead · 58 rank Sam LaPorta ahead | #87#66–#120 | #86#55–#131edge |
| Week 1 (flex) | FLX70#54–#86edge | FLX72#64–#83 |
| Week 1 projection (PPR) | 12.2edge | 11.1 |
| Market Index value (redraft PPR) | 10 #85 overall | 10 #82 overall |
| Rostered | 90% | 97% |
| Bye | 9 | 6 |
| Status | No injury designation | No injury designation |
Expert consensus and ownership data via FantasyPros · Market Index values by LeagueLogs
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Who should I start in Week 1, Rico Dowdle or Sam LaPorta?
- Rico Dowdle. This week's consensus has Rico Dowdle at RB28 (range #24–#31) and Sam LaPorta at TE7 (range #5–#9); on the flex board it is #70 vs #72. Projections: 12.2 vs 11.1 PPR points.
- Who is better for the rest of the season, Rico Dowdle or Sam LaPorta?
- Sam LaPorta. Rest-of-season consensus: Rico Dowdle RB31 (range #24–#39) vs Sam LaPorta TE8 (range #5–#15). 58 of 113 FantasyPros experts who rank both have Sam LaPorta ahead for the rest of the season.
- Should I trade Rico Dowdle for Sam LaPorta?
- On the LeagueLogs Market Index (redraft PPR) Rico Dowdle is ranked #85 overall and Sam LaPorta #82, so a one-for-one is close to even. Run the exact deal through the free AI Trade Analyzer for a verdict on your league's scoring.