Who Should I Start? Jake Tonges or Oronde Gadsden

Friday, November 7, 3:01 PM

San Francisco 49ers fourth-year tight end Jake Tonges filled in admirably while teammate George Kittle missed five games with a hamstring injury. However, since Kittle's return, Tonges has seen a total of 16 offensive snaps over the past three weeks. And while he did catch a two-yard touchdown in Week 8, it came on his lone target over that same timeframe. While Kittle has yet to top 4 targets or 45 yards since returning, Tonges no longer appears to have any role in this offense and can confidently be dropped by the select few fantasy managers who might still be holding him. Kittle remains an every-week starter, while the hope remains that the eventual return of quarterback Brock Purdy will put him right back into the weekly TE1 conversation.

Saturday, December 6, 4:33 PM

Los Angeles Chargers rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden faces a tough Week 14 challenge after the passing offense stalled following Justin Herbert's hand injury, leading to just one catch for 27 yards on two targets last week. Crucially, Gadsden failed to see a red-zone target for the second consecutive game after seeing 10 in the previous five. The matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles is extremely challenging, as their defense ranks among the top three against tight ends, allowing only three touchdowns all season and just nine PPR points per game to the position. RotoBaller ranks Gadsden as TE14 this week, especially with Justin Herbert (hand) listed as questionable. While the rookie has shown promise, the combination of the restructured, short-area passing offense and one of the league's toughest tight end defenses means Gadsden should be considered a high-end TE2 this week.