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.

Friday, December 26, 10:08 AM

Los Angeles Chargers rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden saw his involvement crater last week, recording just one catch for seven yards on a season-low 3.5% target share. This drop in usage stems from the Chargers prioritizing extra pass protection for their battered offensive line, leaving non-blocking Gadsden on the sidelines for significant stretches. The Week 17 matchup against the Houston Texans offers little hope for a rebound. While Houston is occasionally susceptible to tight end touchdowns, they rank top-10 in yards allowed to the position and lead the league in EPA/Pass. With Gadsden's routes and targets trending sharply downward, he cannot be trusted during the most important week of the fantasy season. He should remain on your bench as a low-end TE2.