OrondeGadsden II

News: 5 days agoGadsden caught one of his two targets for 27 yards in the 31-14 win over the Raiders on Sunday.

Spin: 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.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Gadsden was selected by the Chargers in the fifth round of April's draft. A converted receiver (the position his father played in the pros), Gadsden had two highly productive campaigns, having posted a 61-969-6 receiving line in 2022 and a 73-934-7 showing in 2024. He handled 20% of the Orange's targets during the 36 games he was active and his career 10.76 aDOT was the second highest in this TE class. He's more of a receiver than a blocker, which means perhaps there's some eventual fantasy appeal here, but he'll open his career buried behind Will Dissly and Tyler Conklin.