Chargers' Oronde Gadsden: Low volume without starting QB
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Gadsden brought in both of his targets for 23 yards in Sunday's 19-3 loss to the Broncos.
Gadsden was one of a handful of key players on offense allowed to take the field for the Chargers in Week 18. The 2025 fifth-round pick was able to add a couple of receptions to his rookie total, bringing his final line up to 49-664-3 in 15 appearances this regular season. While the tight end certainly surpassed expectations as a rookie, Gadsden's inconsistent play down the stretch makes him a risky DFS play in the wild-card round, even with QB Justin Herbert back under center.
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Chargers' Oronde Gadsden II: TEs to Sit
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Gadsden had a solid game in Week 17 against Houston with three catches for 32 yards and a touchdown on six targets, and he has now scored at least 10.1 PPR points in two of his past three games. But with Justin Herbert not playing in Week 18 to rest for the playoffs, Gadsden will be tough to trust with Trey Lance at quarterback. Gadsden made his NFL debut in Week 3 against the Broncos and had five catches for 46 yards on seven targets, but that was with Herbert. I'm not expecting a big game for Gadsden with Lance under center.
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Chargers' Oronde Gadsden: Mixed bag in Week 17 loss
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Gadsden brought in three of six targets for 32 yards and a touchdown in the Chargers' 20-16 loss to the Texans on Saturday.
Gadsden had two diametrically opposite experiences in the red zone Saturday, first having a ball bounce off his hands inside the five-yard line and landing in the hands of the Texans' Azeez Al-Shaair to extinguish a golden late first-half scoring opportunity. The rookie tight end then atoned to a degree with a one-yard touchdown grab late in the third quarter, his third career score and first since Week 8. Gadsden should continue filling a key role in the Week 18 road regular-season finale against the Broncos.
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Chargers' Oronde Gadsden II: TEs to Sit
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Gadsden had a miserable game in Week 16 at Dallas with one catch for 7 yards on one target, and he has now scored 6.1 PPR points or less in five of his past six outings. The lone game where he eclipsed that total with 10.1 PPR points was in Week 15 at Kansas City, and Quentin Johnston missed that game with a groin injury. With Johnston healthy in Week 17 against Houston, I would avoid Gadsden in the majority of leagues.
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Chargers' Oronde Gadsden: Another quiet game in win
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Gadsden secured his lone target for seven yards in the Chargers' 34-17 win over the Cowboys on Sunday.
After a big four-game stretch from Weeks 6 to 9, Gadsden has crashed back to Earth in recent weeks. Over his last six games, Gadsden has compiled just 12 catches for 166 scoreless yards on 23 targets. He's devolved into an untrustworthy option at fantasy's weakest position ahead of next Saturday's date with a stingy Houston defense.
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Chargers' Oronde Gadsden II: Sleeper TEs
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Keep an eye on the status for Quentin Johnston (groin) in Week 16 at Dallas. If he's out again, then Gadsden is worth using as a low-end starter in all leagues. Gadsden had a solid game in Week 15 at Kansas City with four catches for 61 yards on five targets, and he scored 10.1 PPR points with Johnston sidelined. The last time Johnston was out was in Week 6 at Miami, and Gadsden had seven catches for 68 yards on eight targets. It's also a good matchup since three tight ends have scored at least 10.6 PPR points against the Cowboys in the past five games.
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Chargers' Oronde Gadsden II: Week 16 Waiver Priority List
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Gadsden had a solid game in Week 15 at Kansas City with four catches for 61 yards on five targets, and he scored 10.1 PPR points with Quentin Johnston (groin) out. The last time Johnston was out was in Week 6 at Miami, and Gadsden had seven catches for 68 yards on eight targets. Keep an eye on Johnston's status for Week 16 at Dallas, and Gadsden can be a top-10 Fantasy tight end in all leagues if Johnston is out again. Three tight ends have also scored at least 10.6 PPR points against the Cowboys in the past five games.
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Chargers' Oronde Gadsden: Team-high yardage total in win
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Gadsden brought in four of five targets for 61 yards in the Chargers' 16-13 win over the Chiefs on Sunday.
Gadsden led the Chargers in receiving yards and tied for second in targets, also providing the team's second-longest catch of the afternoon (27 yards). Quentin Johnston's absence due to a groin injury may have benefitted the rookie tight end, who finished with his highest reception and receiving yardage totals since Week 9. Gadsden will take a 43-602-2 line on 60 targets into a Week 16 road matchup against the Cowboys.
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Chargers' Oronde Gadsden II: TEs to Sit
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Gadsden just had his worst game of the season in Week 14 against Philadelphia with one catch for 7 yards on four targets, and he scored 1.7 PPR points. He's now scored 6.1 PPR points or less in four games in a row, and he hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 8. Justin Herbert is struggling also while dealing with an injured left hand, and the Chiefs are No. 6 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends. Only three tight ends have scored at least 10 PPR points against Kansas City this season, and Gadsden is not worth starting in the majority of leagues.
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Chargers' Oronde Gadsden: Held quiet in Week 14
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Gadsden finished with one reception for seven yards on four targets in Monday's 22-19 overtime win over the Eagles.
With a 62 percent snap share on the night, Gadsden once again handily paced Chargers tight ends in playing time, but it didn't translate into much production. Since recording at least five catches and 68 receiving yards in four straight games from Weeks 6 through 9, Gadsden has been limited to a 7-88-0 receiving line on 17 targets over the Chargers' ensuing four contests.
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Chargers' Oronde Gadsden: Only one catch in win
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Gadsden caught one of his two targets for 27 yards in the 31-14 win over the Raiders on Sunday.
Sunday included the rookie's fewest receptions in a game dating back to Week 5 and his second-lowest yardage total after breaking out against the Dolphins back in Week 6. Negative game scripts have largely impacted Gadsden, as the Chargers have either blown out opponents or been blown out themselves in most of their contests throughout the month of November. A matchup against the Eagles in Week 14 could be a remedy for more volume, but the status of quarterback Justin Herbert will be incredibly relevant, as the Pro Bowler will have surgery to repair a fracture in his left hand Monday, leaving his status uncertain for the critical bout.
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Chargers' Oronde Gadsden: Just 41 yards in Week 11 loss
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Gadsden caught two of five targets for 41 yards in the Chargers' 35-6 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday.
Gadsden had just one catch for 13 yards until late in the fourth quarter when he caught a 28-yard pass from backup quarterback Trey Lance when the game was well out of hand. It was a challenge most of the afternoon for the Los Angeles offense, as Justin Herbert threw for just 81 yards prior to being removed from the blowout loss. After big production in October, Gadsden has cooled off in back-to-back weeks, with just five catches for 54 yards on 11 targets over the past two games. The Chargers have a Week 12 bye before hosting the Raiders at home in Week 13.
Gadsden (knee) practiced fully Wednesday.
Previous reports indicated that Gadsden was dealing with a quad bruise, but he's listed with a knee issue on the Chargers' Week 11 injury report. In any case, the tight end's full participation Wednesday paves the way for him to play Sunday against the Jaguars, and in the process maintain his key role in Los Angeles' passing offense, a context that has kept Gadsden on the fantasy radar since his production picked up in Week 6.
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Chargers' Oronde Gadsden: In line to practice Wednesday
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Gadsden (quadriceps) is slated to practice Wednesday, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.
Gadsden was forced out of Sunday's 25-10 win over the Steelers in the third quarter after logging 38 snaps in the contest. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the tight end is viewed as day-to-day with a quad bruise, but Gadsden's looming participation in practice Wednesday -- in any capacity -- is a positive sign ahead of this weekend's game against the Jaguars.
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Chargers' Oronde Gadsden: Set for MRI on knee
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Gadsden is scheduled to undergo an MRI on his left knee after exiting Sunday's 25-10 win over the Steelers in the third quarter, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The rookie tight end finished with three catches for 13 yards on six targets before leaving the game when he made hard contact with the knee of a Steelers defender. The MRI will shed more light on the severity of Gadsden's injury, but his status for a Week 11 game in Jacksonville is murky. If he's sidelined next weekend, the Chargers would go back to Tyler Conklin and Will Dissly as their main pass-catching options at tight end.
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Chargers' Oronde Gadsden: Questionable to return to SNF
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Gadsden (knee) is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Steelers.
Gadsden went to the locker room in the third quarter and was deemed questionable to return shortly thereafter. The red-hot rookie recorded at least 68 receiving yards in each of his previous four games but had just three catches for 13 yards on six targets Sunday prior to suffering the injury.
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Chargers' Oronde Gadsden: Leading receiver in win
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Gadsden recorded five receptions on five targets for 68 yards in Sunday's 27-20 win over the Titans.
Justin Herbert distributed targets extremely evenly among all of his top pass catchers, including Gadsden. Even so, Gadsden narrowly led the team in receiving yards, thanks primarily to a long 34-yard catch that came just short of the end zone. This was the fourth consecutive game that Gadsden has had at least five receptions and 65 receiving yards, and he's quickly become a reliable starting tight end in all formats.
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Chargers' Oronde Gadsden II: Starting Tight Ends
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Gadsden is hot heading into Week 9 at Tennessee, and we'll see if the Titans can slow him down. Tennessee has only allowed three touchdowns to tight ends all season, but two of them happened in the past three games against Michael Mayer in Week 6 and Austin Hooper in Week 7. And a tight end has scored at least 9.1 PPR points against the Titans in four games in a row. Gadsden has 12 catches for 244 yards and two touchdowns on 14 targets in his past two games against the Colts and Vikings, and he has top-10 upside in this matchup in Week 9.
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Chargers' Oronde Gadsden II: Week 8 Waiver Priority List
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Gadsden was a huge surprise in Week 7 against the Colts with seven catches for 164 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. He did that with all three receivers healthy for the Chargers with Quentin Johnston, Keenan Allen and Ladd McConkey on the field. In Week 6 at Miami, with Johnston out, Gadsden had seven catches for 68 yards on eight targets. It appears like Gadsden will be a focal point of the passing game for the Chargers moving forward, and he's worth adding in all leagues for at least 10 percent of your remaining FAB. Gadsden has three games this season with at least seven targets, and he scored at least 9.6 PPR points in each outing.
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Chargers' Oronde Gadsden II: Week 7 Waiver Priority List
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Gadsden stepped up in Week 6 at Miami in the first game with Quentin Johnston (hamstring) out with seven catches for 68 yards on eight targets, although he lost a fumble. We'll see if Johnston will return in Week 7 against the Colts, but if he remains out then Gadsden will be a low-end starter in all leagues. He's worth adding in all leagues for 5-10 percent of your remaining FAB.
