Over the past couple of weeks, Los Angeles Chargers rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden has taken over in fantasy football.
The 6-foot-5. 236-pounder out of Syracuse was inactive in the first two games of the season, but has arrived since then.
Keep reading for more about Gadsden's historic start to his NFL career.
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Explaining Oronde Gadsden's fantasy breakout
As targets to Keenan Allen have slowed down, opponents have keyed more on Quentin Johnston, and the run game without Omarion Hampton (ankle) has proven inconsistent, Gadsden has simultaneously helped solve problems with the Bolts' midrange receiving and rushing attacks.
In Weeks 6 and 7, Gadsden was the TE2 overall, only behind Trey McBride. In Week 7, he was the top overall TE1 with an absolutely ridiculous stat line.
Week OPP TGT REC YDS TD
6 MIA 8 7 68 0
7 IND 9 7 164 1
Week 8 TNF against the Minnesota Vikings was no different. Gadsden caught all 5 of his targets for 77 yards and a TD.
The best part is that all of this production came in the first half. However, the game turned into a blowout, and the Chargers ran the ball all over the Vikings in the second half.
Track our weekly fantasy rankings for our TE lineup tips.
Oronde Gadsden fantasy outlook for rest of 2025 season
Two main things impact Gadsden and his fantasy performance.
The first, of course, is the game script. In Week 7, the Chargers were getting blown out; therefore, they had to pass the ball more often.
When the Chargers are pass-heavy -- and when they're in the red zone -- Gadsden is a top target for Justin Herbert.
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However, if the Chargers are the team with a handle lead, they have no problem running the ball exclusively. This is precisely what we saw in Week 8 against the Vikings.
Once Omarion Hampton returns, the Chargers will undoubtedly run the ball more efficiently, which may lead to a decrease in overall pass volume.
Until then, Gadsden is a must-start from here on out. Those are just the few things I'd keep in mind when it comes to his season outlook.
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Gadsden impact on Chargers' fantasy players
QB Justin Herbert
There's no doubt that Gadsden helps Herbert a ton. Who doesn't want a massive red zone target that looks like a WR but plays TE?
When the Chargers had to pass the ball in Week 8, Herbert clearly felt comfortable targeting Gadsden.
Until Hampton returns and the run game is reliable again, Herbert is a top 10 fantasy QB with Gadsden’s ability.
WRs Quentin Johnston, Ladd McConkey, and Keenan Allen
McConkey is in a tier by himself; Gadsden has little impact on how involved he'll be in the passing game.
However, we have seen a dip in Keenan Allen's targets. In fact, Gadsden and Allen were tied at five targets apiece.
Quentin Johnston's managers are hurting right now as his snap counts decline. Gadsden's emergence tanks the overall value of Johnston's offer. We knew that Johnston was a pure TD-dependent WR, but with zero targets in Week 8, there can't be a ton of confidence there.
RBs Kimani Vidal and Omarion Hampton
Gadsden does not affect Hampton (ankle) or Vidal; in fact, it's quite the opposite.
If the Chargers are running the ball well, head coach Jim Harbaugh has zero problem leaning on that.
Hampton's return will undoubtedly give the Chargers more confidence in their rushing attack. Once this happens, Gadsden's overall value does take a hit in volume upside, depending on the matchup.