Oronde Gadsden II Fantasy Overview

2025 Role & Results

A Surprise Fantasy Asset

Gadsden racked up 49 catches, 664 yards, and 3 TDs in 15 games, good for TE15 in total PPR points and TE22 in points per game.

He finished as a top-12 PPR TE in five games, with two other finishes inside the top-15. He also brought the volatility you’d expect from a Round 5 rookie TE: six fantasy finishes outside the top-36.

Gadsden Capitalizes on Opportunity

After healthy scratches in the first two games, Gadsden got his chance in Week 3 with Will Dissly inactive and turned 7 targets into 5 catches for 46 yards against Denver.

From Week 3 on, Gadsden posted a 61.3% route rate and 13.4% target share, with eight games above a 70% route rate and seven above a 17% target share. That works out to fringe top-12 TE usage over a full season.

Gadsden thrived in a mid-range role with a 9.5-yard average depth of target, sixth among 49 TEs with 30+ targets. He also caught all eight of his deep targets (20+ yards downfield) for 235 yards.

Mixed Efficiency Marks

Among 49 TEs with 30+ targets, Gadsden ranked:

• fifth in yards per target
• 17th in yards per route run
• 32nd in fantasy points per route run
• 33rd in yards after catch per reception
• 36th in targets per route run

Gadsden added strong marks in catch rate (73.2%) and yards per reception (13.3).

Offense Faces Adversity

The Chargers landed 12th in total yards but only 20th in scoring. The passing game checked in 13th in attempts, 18th in yards, and 11th in TDs.

That’s a decent profile, especially factoring in the tough conditions around Justin Herbert. OTs Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater combined to miss 28 games and factored heavily in the QB seeing a league-high 43.3% pressure rate.

No Durability Issues in Year 1

Gadsden left Week 10 with a quad bruise but returned the following Sunday.

His more notable injury came at Syracuse in 2023, where a Lisfranc injury to his right foot required surgery and cost him 11 games.

2026 Opportunity & Projection

Chargers Add Competition

Gadsden projects as the lead TE after his strong 2025, but the margin for error is thin.

The Chargers strengthened the TE room with David Njoku and Charlie Kolar. Njoku missed 11 games over the past two seasons and lost ground to Harold Fannin Jr. in 2025, but his 2023 showed the ceiling. That year, Njoku finished sixth among TEs in catches and yards, tying for second in receiving TDs. (He did it despite playing in a Browns offense that used five starting QBs.)

Kolar is less of a receiving threat, but his blocking could still cost Gadsden snaps, especially after the Chargers gave the former Raven a three-year deal with $17 million guaranteed.

Kolar ranked eighth last year in Pro Football Focus run-blocking grade among 53 TEs with 200+ run-blocking snaps.

Beyond TE, the Chargers return a young WR trio of Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and Tre Harris. McConkey’s production declined last season, while Johnston remained a complementary piece of the offense with a target share that placed him 57th among WRs. Harris played all 17 games but was a non-factor.

Keenan Allen’s departure vacated 122 targets from last year’s offense, but don’t assume Gadsden automatically claims a large chunk.

Herbert, OTs Will be Key

Gadsden benefits from the presence of Justin Herbert, who finished ninth in pass attempts and ninth in yards last season despite heavy pressure.

The O-line will bear watching after both OTs underwent offseason surgeries. LT Rashawn Slater and RT Joe Alt are at least on track to participate in training camp.

A New Offensive Identity

The Chargers’ personnel moves suggest more two- and three-TE sets, a shift from last year when they ranked last in 12-personnel usage (5.8%) and 23rd in 13-personnel usage (1.9%).

That’s generally positive for the TE, who won’t have to contend with as many WRs for targets.

McDaniel’s Miami offenses also leaned into two-back sets, using them at a 33.25% clip and frequently involving a fullback. That’s up from the Chargers’ 10.9% usage of two-back sets last season. Gadsden probably won’t see a major snap or route reduction as the movement/receiving TE. But new FB Alec Ingold, who spent the past four seasons with McDaniel, adds another potential hurdle to his playing time.

Risk Factors

Gadsden could simply get lost in a deep group of pass catchers. McConkey, Johnston, Njoku, Harris, Kolar, and even Omarion Hampton, who caught 32 passes in just nine games as a rookie, give the Chargers plenty of options to spread the ball around.