Dalton Schultz or Oronde Gadsden: Who Should You Start?

Preliminary board

2026 Week 3 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.

Verdicts sharpen as practice reports land.

Schultz’s established role beats Gadsden’s newly opened opportunity

Schultz’s chain-moving TE1 role gives him the sturdier weekly floor, and that matters more than his slim projection edge. The matchup and team-total signals barely separate them; the key difference is Schultz already has a substantial passing-game role, while Gadsden’s is just opening. With Njoku and Kolar headed to IR, Gadsden is the Chargers’ only healthy active tight end, and Harbaugh has voiced confidence in a larger role. That makes him a live alternative, but the risk to Schultz is Gadsden turning that opportunity into immediate volume.

What flips it: Gadsden turning the expanded opportunity into a full-time route-and-target role.

Sources: Chargers.com · Sep 21, 2026 · ESPN · Sep 21, 2026

AI editor

Dalton Schultz

Dalton Schultz

TE21HOUvs IND

Projected Points

Start
Oronde Gadsden

Oronde Gadsden

TE26LACvs BUF

Projected Points

Start

Dalton Schultz’s market

ATD
Anytime TD
+210
Anytime Touchdown Props →

Oronde Gadsden’s market

ATD
Anytime TD
+300
Anytime Touchdown Props →
HOU@
INDSun, Sep 27, 1:00 PM ETView the game →
LAC@
BUFSun, Sep 27, 1:00 PM ETView the game →

Why Dalton Schultz

Start

TE1 in high-volume pass-catching role. Reliable chain-mover over the middle with sure hands.

Start — TE21 consensus, projects TE15 this week: IND is the 10th-softest matchup vs TEs, 25% target share.

  • His chain-mover profile offers a reliable middle-of-field outlet, supporting a steadier path to targets.
  • You’re backing a role that’s already established, not one that still needs to grow.

Why Oronde Gadsden

Start

Start — TE26 consensus, projects TE19 this week: 8% target share, 8.7 PPR projected vs BUF.

  • The IR vacancies create a genuine path to more responsibility than his early usage suggests.
  • Harbaugh’s confidence gives Gadsden upside if the opportunity quickly becomes a larger weekly role.

Latest on Gadsden

Role

With Njoku and Kolar both headed to IR, Gadsden is now the only healthy tight end on the Chargers' active roster, and Harbaugh voiced strong confidence in his ability to handle a larger role.

Chargers.com, ESPN · Sep 21, 2026

Head-to-head stats

MetricDalton SchultzOronde Gadsden
Projected points
Consensus rankTE21TE26
Opponent vs positionIND · 23 of 322-game sampleBUF · 21 of 322-game sample
Receptions29 of 3227 of 32
Receiving Yards29 of 3224 of 32
Receiving TDs15 of 3215 of 32
Targets29 of 3227 of 32
Anytime TD13 of 3213 of 32
Target share25%8%
Reception share29%13%
Implied total · spread23.5-1.522.8+3.0
Depth chartTE1TE1
Snap share67%31%
Start/Sit record—1–0

Recent form

Dalton Schultz — last 2 weeks

Week 2vs CIN
Week 1vs BUF

Oronde Gadsden — last 2 weeks

Week 2vs LV
Week 1vs ARI

Signal breakdown

  • 9.5 vs 8.7 projected PPR pointsDalton Schultz +
  • Rank 21 vs 26Dalton Schultz +
  • Opponent DvP rank 23 vs 21 (32 = softest)even
  • Implied 23.5 vs 22.8 team pointsDalton Schultz +
  • No injury designationseven
  • 67% vs 31% snap shareDalton Schultz +

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