Tight End Camp Battles To Watch For Fantasy Football: Is There Still Upside For Oronde Gadsden?

Rounding out our camp battle series, we take a look at the TEs who have yet to carve out a role as their respective team’s primary player at the position. From David Njoku battling it out against Oronde Gadsden, to Kenyon Sadiq holding off Mason Taylor, there are exciting competitions taking place throughout the summer, potentially shaking up the draft boards in the process.

TE Camp Battles to Watch for Fantasy

A Veteran vs an Emerging Prospect

In his first stint with the Los Angeles Chargers, Oronde Gadsden was able to immediately give their offense a boost in production, averaging 44.3 receiving yards per game and 13.6 yards per catch in 15 starts. He also made his presence known inside the 20, nearly leading the team in total targets inside the red zone.

Just when it seemed like Gadsden was going to take a step forward as their surefire TE1, the Chargers made a head scratching move by signing David Njoku to a one-year deal. When comparing the two, Gadsden was far more productive than his newly acquired teammate, leading Njoku in EPA per play, aDOT, catch rate and yards per route run.

While the signing of Njoku is most likely to help soften the blow of a potential injury, any significant time on the field will chip away at Gadsden’s usage, lessening his value in fantasy. Especially if Njoku is able to round back into competitive form and carve out a role as a viable pass catcher, further eating away at Gadsden’s Target Share. If Njoku is able to turn heads at training camp, then we may need to wait to draft Gadsden at a discount.

Not So Fast, My Friend

Speaking of turning heads, Kenyon Sadiq grabbed everyone's attention at the combine when he broke the 40-yard dash record for the position. His performance eventually led to the New York Jets selecting him at 1.15 in this year’s draft, potentially signaling he will be one of the focal points of their offense heading into 2026-27.

While Sadiq’s athleticism certainly puts him in a tier of his own at the position, his lack of size raises red flags, potentially keeping him off the field more than what us managers would like if he is not able to hold his ground in the trenches. Usage is key when it comes to fantasy and any dip could be the difference of you winning or losing.

Even though it seems like it is Sadiq’s job to lose, his absence in OTA’s due to surgery has given Mason Taylor the opportunity to make his case, creating an intriguing positional battle. A former second-round pick, Taylor quietly finished second on the team in receiving yards last year while ranking 35th of 140 TEs in EPA per play.

Can Greg Dulcich Build on His Momentum?

With Darren Waller still unsigned, it seems like Greg Dulcich will hold on to his job as the TE1 for Miami, making him an intriguing player to target in the later rounds of the draft. This is especially true if his target share skyrockets as a primary target for the Dolphins after finishing last year at 13.36%, creating more opportunities to stuff the stat sheet on a weekly basis.

Standing in Dulcich’s way is their third round pick Will Kacmarek, a former Ohio State Buckeye who underwhelmed as a pass catcher in their star studded offense. If Dulcich can hold Kacmarek off, then he will be in a great position to contribute, filling the role as the lead target in an offense that is barren of talent at WR.

Players Mentioned in this Article

OrondeGadsden
TELAC
PPG
7.0
Proj
116.5
KenyonSadiq
TENYJ
Proj
112.7
MasonTaylor
TENYJ
PPG
5.0
Proj
46.0
GregDulcich
TEMIA
PPG
5.5
Proj
101.9

Published Jun 26, 2026, 6:55 AM ETUpdated Jun 26, 2026, 9:10 AM ET