Of course, for a transmigrator, latching on to someone powerful only made sense if you were ordinary, with neither a Golden Finger nor any talent.
If you had nothing, then unless you were content to remain mediocre after transmigrating, getting to know the Protagonist really was your best way forward.
Befriend the Protagonist, and as long as they were not a lone star of calamity who got everyone around them killed, or an utterly selfish, purely dark sort of Protagonist, the limits of what you could achieve would rise dramatically.
You would gain more resources and more opportunities.
As for whether that made you a sycophant, it was laughable to get hung up on the question.
Some people became devoted lapdogs without ever transmigrating. They got nothing in return, yet kept it up with gusto and enjoyed every moment.
If you built a good relationship with the Protagonist after transmigrating, they would actually treat you as a friend. They would think of you when good things came their way and look after you, rather than keeping you around as a backup.
Protagonists generally gave to their friends without asking for anything in return.
Forget being the Protagonist's lapdog. The Protagonist would be yours.
Of course, that assumed the Protagonist was decent and the two of you genuinely got along.
If you had exceptional talent or a Golden Finger of your own, then it was not a matter of latching on to anyone. At most, you would meet as equals.
After the two of you met, there might be competition, but overall, you would still benefit each other and advance together.
And if your talent and Golden Finger were powerful enough to defy the heavens, why latch on to someone powerful? You were the one others would latch on to.
That