Who Should I Start? Ian Thomas or Oronde Gadsden

Tuesday, March 25, 1:32 PM

The Las Vegas Raiders announced on Tuesday that they signed free-agent tight end Ian Thomas (calf) to an undisclosed deal on Tuesday. Thomas will head to the AFC West after spending the first seven years of his NFL career with the Carolina Panthers after they selected him in the fourth round (101st overall) in the 2018 NFL draft out of Indiana. The 28-year-old never really established himself as a fantasy asset in Carolina, with his best season coming in his rookie campaign with a 36-333-2 line on 49 targets in 16 games (six starts). Thomas landed on Injured Reserve in 2024 with a calf injury and only caught three of six targets for seven yards in five games (two starts). He scored four touchdowns in his first three seasons but hasn't found the end zone since. In Vegas, he'll provide TE depth behind Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer and will remain off the fantasy radar.

Sunday, January 11, 7:02 PM

Los Angeles Chargers rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden displayed his versatility and developed a strong connection with Justin Herbert during the 2025 NFL season. The 22-year-old had 49 catches for 664 yards and three touchdowns on 69 targets. Gadsden was a pleasant surprise for fantasy managers who were able to snipe him off waivers in his rookie season. Entering Wild Card Weekend, Gadsden will face a solid New England Patriots defense. The Patriots' defense allowed the fourth-fewest rushing touchdowns and the sixth-fewest rushing yards, while having one of the NFL's mild passing defenses. This could favor the Gadsden and the Chargers' passing attack. If the Chargers have a slow start running the football, they could turn Herbert's arm loose early. Gadsden could see a good number of targets against an average NFL passing defense in his NFL playoff game.