Oronde Gadsden or Oscar Delp: Who Should You Start?
Preliminary board2026 Week 2 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.
Verdicts sharpen as practice reports land.
Gadsden wins the comparison, but neither tight end belongs in your lineup
Gadsden wins this comparison, not a lineup spot: Delp is ruled out, while Gadsden remains stuck in a crowded room. The Chargers' hybrid tight end plan offers some upside (Chargers.com 2026-09-13), but his limited role makes the favorable team outlook less useful than it appears. Delp has no usable floor at all after his hamstring absence (Yahoo Sports 2026-09-13).
What flips it: A confirmed expansion of Gadsden's snap and target role before kickoff.
Sources: Chargers.com · Sep 13, 2026 · Yahoo Sports · Sep 13, 2026
AI editor
Oronde Gadsden
2.63.44.1 Projected Points
Oscar Delp
0.30.40.5 Projected Points
Oronde Gadsden’s market
Oscar Delp’s market
Why Oronde Gadsden
Sit· medium18% snap share and 7% target share in a crowded TE room, TE26 projection at 4.1 points — not a startable 12-team option.
- The hybrid plan creates upside if the Chargers expand his route and red-zone involvement.
- A strong team scoring outlook matters less while he remains a part-time option.
The call
- Role is the killer: 18% snaps and a 7% target share make him a situational piece in McDaniel's hybrid tight end rotation, not a volume play.
- Consensus has him TE26 at 4.1 projected PPR points — below replacement level in a 12-team league where a dozen TEs see real target floors.
- The matchup composite grades 2 of 32 (near-toughest vs TEs), though it's a 1-game sample with 0.00 confidence, so it's a nudge rather than the driver.
- The -8.5 spread and 25.5 implied total are friendly, but a blowout lean cuts passing volume late — and Gadsden needs volume to matter. A multi-TD role change or an injury ahead of him would tip this.
Latest on Gadsden
Gadsden said the tight end group gives Herbert multiple weapons that "the defense has to worry about whether it's one of us on the field or all of us," as part of McDaniel's hybrid tight end usage plan entering Week 1.
Chargers.com · Sep 13, 2026Why Oscar Delp
Sit· highDelp is ruled OUT with a hamstring after not practicing all week — 0.5 projected points, no lineup case.
- Delp's only real advantage is unavailable: he cannot contribute while ruled out.
- New Orleans' tight end depth leaves no path to a Week 1 lineup role.
The call
- Availability is the whole story: ruled out with a hamstring injury after not practicing all week, so there is nothing to start.
- Consensus projection of 0.5 PPR points reflects a player who will not take a snap this week.
- Even at full health he sits third on the depth chart behind Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant in New Orleans' tight end room.
- With a 19.5 implied team total and a 7.5-point spread, this offense is not generating enough volume to feed a third tight end anyway.
Latest on Delp
Oscar Delp (hamstring) was ruled out for Week 1 against Detroit after not practicing all week, squeezing New Orleans' tight end depth behind Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant.
Yahoo Sports · Sep 13, 2026Head-to-head stats
| Metric | Oronde Gadsden | Oscar Delp |
|---|---|---|
| Projected points | 2.63.44.1 | 0.30.40.5 |
| Consensus rank | TE26 | — |
| Opponent vs position | LV · 2 of 321-game sample | BAL · 12 of 321-game sample |
| Receptions | 2 of 32 | 5 of 32 |
| Receiving Yards | 4 of 32 | 2 of 32 |
| Receiving TDs | 1 of 32 | 21 of 32 |
| Targets | 3 of 32 | 11 of 32 |
| Anytime TD | 1 of 32 | 20 of 32 |
| Target share | 7% | — |
| Reception share | 12% | — |
| Implied total · spread | 25.5-8.5 | 19.5+7.5 |
| Depth chart | TE3 | TE3 |
| Snap share | 18% | — |
| Injury designation | — | Out |
Recent form
Oronde Gadsden — last 1 week
| Week 1 | vs ARI | 3.24.25.2 |
Oscar Delp — last 1 week
| Week 1 | vs DET | 0.00.00.0 |
Signal breakdown
- 4.1 vs 0.5 projected PPR pointsOronde Gadsden +
- Consensus position rankeven
- Opponent DvP rank 2 vs 12 (32 = softest)even
- Implied 25.5 vs 19.5 team pointsOronde Gadsden +
- A ruled-out player cannot be a startOronde Gadsden +
- Snap shareeven
Compare different players
Every fantasy-relevant player this week — search or filter by position.
More Gadsden comparisons
More Delp comparisons
This week’s toughest calls
- J. WilliamsJavonte WilliamsRBDALvs WSH
K. WilliamsKyren WilliamsRBLARvs NYG
- K. WilliamsKyren WilliamsRBLARvs NYGD. SwiftD'Andre SwiftRBCHIvs MIN
- D. SwiftD'Andre SwiftRBCHIvs MINB. IrvingBucky IrvingRBTBvs CLE
- B. IrvingBucky IrvingRBTBvs CLED. MontgomeryDavid MontgomeryRBHOUvs CIN
- D. MontgomeryDavid MontgomeryRBHOUvs CINJ. PriceJadarian PriceRBSEAvs ARI
- J. PriceJadarian PriceRBSEAvs ARIR. StevensonRhamondre StevensonRBNEvs PIT
- D. AdamsDavante AdamsWRLARvs NYG
J. WaddleJaylen WaddleWRDENvs JAX
- J. WaddleJaylen WaddleWRDENvs JAXD. MooreDJ MooreWRBUFvs DET
- D. MooreDJ MooreWRBUFvs DETJ. WilliamsJameson WilliamsWRDETvs BUF
- J. WilliamsJameson WilliamsWRDETvs BUFL. Burden IIILuther Burden IIIWRCHIvs MIN
- L. Burden IIILuther Burden IIIWRCHIvs MINM. EvansMike EvansWRSFvs MIA
- M. EvansMike EvansWRSFvs MIAC. WatsonChristian WatsonWRGBvs NYJ
- B. BowersBrock BowersTELVvs LAC
K. Pitts Sr.Kyle Pitts Sr.TEATLvs CAR
- K. Pitts Sr.Kyle Pitts Sr.TEATLvs CARG. KittleGeorge KittleTESFvs MIA
- G. KittleGeorge KittleTESFvs MIAS. LaPortaSam LaPortaTEDETvs BUF
- S. LaPortaSam LaPortaTEDETvs BUFT. KraftTucker KraftTEGBvs NYJ
- T. KraftTucker KraftTEGBvs NYJT. KelceTravis KelceTEKCvs IND
- T. KelceTravis KelceTEKCvs INDD. GoedertDallas GoedertTEPHIvs TEN
- D. PrescottDak PrescottQBDALvs WSH
J. DartJaxson DartQBNYGvs LAR
- J. DartJaxson DartQBNYGvs LARJ. HerbertJustin HerbertQBLACvs LV
- J. HerbertJustin HerbertQBLACvs LVC. WilliamsCaleb WilliamsQBCHIvs MIN
- C. WilliamsCaleb WilliamsQBCHIvs MINB. PurdyBrock PurdyQBSFvs MIA
- B. PurdyBrock PurdyQBSFvs MIAP. MahomesPatrick MahomesQBKCvs IND
- P. MahomesPatrick MahomesQBKCvs INDB. NixBo NixQBDENvs JAX
- B. AubreyBrandon AubreyKDALvs WSH
C. DickerCameron DickerKLACvs LV
- C. DickerCameron DickerKLACvs LVK. FairbairnKa'imi FairbairnKHOUvs CIN
- K. FairbairnKa'imi FairbairnKHOUvs CINE. PineiroEddy PineiroKSFvs MIA
- E. PineiroEddy PineiroKSFvs MIAH. MevisHarrison MevisKLARvs NYG
- H. MevisHarrison MevisKLARvs NYGH. ButkerHarrison ButkerKKCvs IND
- H. ButkerHarrison ButkerKKCvs INDT. LoopTyler LoopKBALvs NO
- Buccaneers D/STBuccaneers D/STDSTTBvs CLE
Chargers D/STChargers D/STDSTLACvs LV
- Chargers D/STChargers D/STDSTLACvs LVBears D/STBears D/STDSTCHIvs MIN
- Bears D/STBears D/STDSTCHIvs MINPackers D/STPackers D/STDSTGBvs NYJ
- Packers D/STPackers D/STDSTGBvs NYJChiefs D/STChiefs D/STDSTKCvs IND
- Chiefs D/STChiefs D/STDSTKCvs IND49ers D/ST49ers D/STDSTSFvs MIA
- 49ers D/ST49ers D/STDSTSFvs MIAFalcons D/STFalcons D/STDSTATLvs CAR
- J. WilliamsJavonte WilliamsRBDALvs WSHB. BowersBrock BowersTELVvs LAC
- B. BowersBrock BowersTELVvs LACC. HubbardChuba HubbardRBCARvs ATL
- K. WilliamsKyren WilliamsRBLARvs NYGD. AdamsDavante AdamsWRLARvs NYG
- D. AdamsDavante AdamsWRLARvs NYGB. IrvingBucky IrvingRBTBvs CLE
- J. PriceJadarian PriceRBSEAvs ARIJ. WaddleJaylen WaddleWRDENvs JAX
- D. Samuel Sr.Deebo Samuel Sr.WRSFvs MIA
M. LloydMarShawn LloydRBGBvs NYJ
- A. Jones Sr.Aaron Jones Sr.RBMINvs CHI
S. LaPortaSam LaPortaTEDETvs BUF - K. Pitts Sr.Kyle Pitts Sr.TEATLvs CARM. GoldenMatthew GoldenWRGBvs NYJ
Get a Start/Sit call on your whole roster →
Save your team once and see a Start, Sit, or Toss-Up verdict on every player, every week — with the matchup, usage and game-script evidence behind each call.
Add to My Team — freeOr browse this week’s NFL games or NFL player props.