Who Should I Start? AJ Barner or Oronde Gadsden

Thursday, July 16, 6:02 AM

For a four-week stretch early into his rookie season, Los Angeles Chargers tight end Oronde Gadsden had the appearance of the league's next young superstar. From Weeks 6 through 9, the 2025 fifth-round pick caught 24 of 27 targets for 377 yards and two scores, essentially a full-season pace of 100-1,600-8 that, unsurprisingly, made him the fantasy TE1 over that stretch. While he was unable to maintain that torrid pace the rest of the way, catching only 17 passes for 211 yards and one score over his final eight games, there is plenty to be excited about heading into his second season, especially now that he finds himself in Mike McDaniel's quick-game-heavy offense. While the free agent acquisitions of David Njoku and Charlie Kolar add a level of competition that was not present in 2025, Gadsden is still the safest bet to lead the position group in targets, and with veteran receiver Keenan Allen no longer under contract, he could step into an important role as one of the team's primary chain-movers. Currently ranked as RotoBaller's TE16, Gadsden is the exact type of high-upside swing that redraft managers should be looking to target in the closing rounds of drafts if they missed out or were unwilling to spend up on the elite tier of the position.