Eli Stowers or Oronde Gadsden: Who Should You Start?
2026 Week 1 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.
Gadsden wins by default, but neither tight end belongs in your lineup
Oronde Gadsden wins because Eli Stowers is ruled out and was placed on injured reserve, eliminating any path to a start (philadelphiaeagles.com 2026-09-12). Gadsden remains a sit, though: his current TE2 listing behind Charlie Kolar and David Njoku weakens the appeal of the Chargers' favorable scoring outlook (Yahoo Sports 2026-09-08). His actual risk is playing time, as he is still working to improve as a blocker (chargers.com 2026-08-09).
What flips it: A reversal of Stowers' out designation before kickoff.
Sources: philadelphiaeagles.com · Sep 12, 2026 · Yahoo Sports · Sep 8, 2026 · chargers.com · Aug 9, 2026
AI editor
Eli Stowers
0.50.60.7 Projected Points
Oronde Gadsden
3.03.94.8 Projected Points
Eli Stowers’s market
Oronde Gadsden’s market
Why Eli Stowers
SitRuled out — verdict void; pivot to your bench.
- Stowers has no usable path this week after being ruled out and placed on injured reserve.
- Philadelphia’s strong scoring outlook cannot matter when the rookie is unavailable.
Latest on Stowers
Eli Stowers was downgraded to out and placed on Injured Reserve because of quadriceps and hamstring injuries.
Eagles elevate WR Britain Covey, place TE Eli Stowers on Injured Reservephiladelphiaeagles.com · Sep 12, 2026Rookie TE Eli Stowers, who suffered a hamstring injury in the second preseason game against the Patriots, was listed as a limited participant on the Eagles' Wednesday and Thursday practice reports ahead of the Week 1 opener against Washington.
philadelphiaeagles.com · Sep 10, 2026Rookie TE Eli Stowers is currently dealing with a hamstring injury on top of struggles with pass blocking, and it would not be surprising if he is a Week 1 healthy scratch behind Johnny Mundt and E.J. Jenkins.
Sports Illustrated (Eagles on SI), Yahoo Sports · Sep 1, 2026Why Oronde Gadsden
SitSit — bench-tier TE at consensus TE26: 28.5 implied team total, 14% target share in 2025.
- Gadsden at least has a live path to snaps, unlike Stowers, giving him the only actionable side of this comparison.
- His current TE2 role makes the Chargers’ scoring environment less valuable than it first appears.
Latest on Gadsden
On the newest depth chart update, Gadsden is listed as the TE2, while Njoku is the TE3, behind Kolar as TE1.
Yahoo Sports · Sep 8, 2026Oronde Gadsden is working to improve as a blocker in order to earn as many snaps as possible.
How Tre' Harris & Oronde Gadsden Have Approached Mike McDaniel's Offensechargers.com · Aug 8, 2026Despite his rookie production, Gadsden is not the starter or primary backup at tight end on the Chargers' unofficial depth chart, which instead lists Charlie Kolar or David Njoku as the starter.
Yahoo Sports · Sep 10, 2026Head-to-head stats
| Metric | Eli Stowers | Oronde Gadsden |
|---|---|---|
| Projected points | 0.50.60.7 | 3.03.94.8 |
| Consensus rank | — | TE26 |
| Opponent vs position | WSHno ranking yet | ARIno ranking yet |
| Target share | — | 14%(2025) |
| Reception share | — | 15%(2025) |
| Implied total · spread | 26.0-5.5 | 28.5-11.5 |
| Depth chart | TE3 | TE3 |
| Snap share | — | 63%(2025) |
| Injury designation | out | — |
Signal breakdown
- 0.7 vs 4.8 projected PPR pointsOronde Gadsden +
- Consensus position rankeven
- Matchup (DvP composite)even
- Implied 26.0 vs 28.5 team pointsOronde Gadsden +
- A ruled-out player cannot be a startOronde Gadsden +
- Snap shareeven
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