Who Should I Start? Jake Tonges or Oronde Gadsden

Saturday, January 17, 10:23 PM

San Francisco 49ers tight end Jake Tonges (foot) exited during the third quarter of Saturday's Divisional Round contest against the Seattle Seahawks. He is officially listed as questionable to return. Tonges suffered the injury following an incomplete pass, and he was seen trying to test his foot on the sideline. At the time of his departure, he had caught five of six targets for 59 yards. The 26-year-old earned the start at tight end after George Kittle (Achilles) was ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs. Throughout the seven games that Kittle has missed between the regular season and playoffs, Tonges has amassed 34 catches, 328 yards, and three touchdowns. It goes without saying that losing both Kittle and Tonges is terrible news for the Niners, who are trying to come back from a three-possession deficit in Seattle. Luke Farrell should take over as San Francisco's primary tight end for the time being.

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.