The breaking news coming out of the NFL world this morning is that the Los Angeles Chargers have agreed to terms with TE David Njoku on a one-year deal, per Ian Rapoport.
The hype was building for Oronde Gadsden as a potential breakout candidate going into 2026, so how does this move shake up the TE landscape now? Is Gadsden still an ideal target in fantasy drafts or is it time to pivot to someone else?
Let’s dissect it all right here and discuss what the fantasy football impact is moving forward.
Interested in reading our full Redraft Rankings? Click here.
David Njoku’s 2026 Fantasy Football Outlook
It’s been a little bit since we’ve last seen David Njoku perform as a top 12 option at the TE position for fantasy football.
In 2023, the veteran TE saw 123 targets and he reeled in 81 of them for 882 yards and six touchdowns, but it’s been downhill from there.
A lot of that can be pinned on the QB situation in Cleveland, as it’s been a rotating door of mediocrity at football’s most important position over the past couple of seasons. Njoku simply hasn’t been able to produce to the level that his talent and athleticism should be allowing him.
He was allowed to walk in free agency this offseason and he’s gone untouched until this point. He’s 29 years old and his production has been trailing off for a few years now – as we’ve discussed – so the days of him producing as a reliable starter in fantasy lineups are likely over.
However, he does still fill a very valuable role for this Chargers offense as a traditional, blocking TE. Gadsden’s a receiving threat, and not known for his ability to move people in the run game, so this signing allows Njoku to do the dirty work and have Gadsden get out downfield.
For the time being, Njoku’s nothing more than a super deep league stash in redraft leagues for 2026. However, if Gadsden misses any time this season, Njoku could be a sneaky streaming option in this high-octane offense.
Read More: The Latest Dynasty Rankings Update (Top 300+)
Oronde Gadsden’s 2026 Fantasy Football Outlook
Not many people expected a fifth-round TE draft pick in 2025 to be a contributor right out of the gate, but Gadsden eventually became integrated into the offense and put up solid production as a rookie.
The dynamic receiving weapon saw 69 targets this past season and reeled in 49 of them for 664 yards and three touchdowns in an offense that was struggling mightily to move the ball up and down the field.
This production was enough to have Gadsden’s name circled on many analysts’ breakout TE lists, but that optimism may have just come crashing back down to earth with this signing of Njoku.
Gadsden and Njoku do fill separate roles in an offense, with Njoku being able to manage more in the run game and Gadsden being asked to go out and run routes more regularly, but playing time now becomes a factor.
Mike McDaniel can run plenty of 12-personnel (two TE sets) this season, but doing so would potentially sacrifice one of LA’s best receiving threats in Ladd McConkey – who primarily operates out of the slot.
We could now be looking at a situation where Gadsden is in a better role for his skillset, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to enough time on the field to be a top-tier option at the TE position. He needs to be bumped down a few spots in the TE rankings after this signing.
Interested in reading our full Dynasty Rankings? Click here.
Should You Draft Oronde Gadsden in Fantasy Football?
The short answer is yes, you should still be drafting Gadsden in fantasy football this season. This offense in LA could absolutely explode under McDaniel in 2026 and I certainly want to have pieces of it on my fantasy rosters.
This is all going to come down to what his ADP ends up settling at come August. If Gadsden is being drafted as a top-eight TE in fantasy football drafts, that’s going to be an easy pass for me when I’m on the clock.
There are simply other better options at the position that have a clearer path to playing time than Gadsden and I don’t have to pay as much to acquire them.
If, however, his ADP is around the TE12 territory when it’s time to hit Draft when you’re on the clock, that’s a fine enough acquisition cost to take a chance on the upside.
Updated 2026 TE Half-PPR Rankings
1) Trey McBride, ARI
2) Brock Bowers, LV
3) Colston Loveland, CHI
4) Tyler Warren, IND
5) Tucker Kraft, GB
6) Kyle Pitts Sr., ATL
7) Harold Fannin Jr., CLE
8) Sam LaPorta, DET
9) Dalton Kincaid, BUF
10) Jake Ferguson, DAL
11) Oronde Gadsden II, LAC
12) Isaiah Likely, NYG
13) Travis Kelce, KC
14) Mark Andrews, BAL
15) Dallas Goedert, PHI
16) Brenton Strange, JAC
17) Chig Okonkwo, WAS
18) Juwan Johnson, NO
19) Hunter Henry, NE
20) Dalton Schultz, HOU
21) David Njoku, FA
22) George Kittle, SF
23) Kenyon Sadiq, NYJ
24) T.J. Hockenson, MIN
25) AJ Barner, SEA
26) Terrance Ferguson, LAR
27) Gunnar Helm, TEN
28) Eli Stowers, PHI
29) Cade Otton, TB
30) Evan Engram, DEN
31) Mason Taylor, NYJ
32) Colby Parkinson, LAR
33) Pat Freiermuth, PIT
34) Jake Tonges, SF
35) Theo Johnson, NYG
36) Greg Dulcich, MIA
37) Mike Gesicki, CIN
38) Tyler Higbee, LAR
39) Darnell Washington, PIT
40) Justin Joly, DEN
41) Ben Sinnott, WAS
42) Darren Waller, FA
43) Tommy Myers, FA
44) John Bates, WAS
45) Max Klare, LAR
46) Noah Gray, KC
47) Elijah Arroyo, SEA
48) Zach Ertz, FA
49) Michael Mayer, LV
50) Ja’Tavion Sanders, CAR
51) Cole Kmet, CHI
52) Luke Musgrave, GB
53) Dawson Knox, BUF
54) Elijah Higgins, ARI
55) Oscar Delp, NO
56) Jonnu Smith, FA
57) Sam Roush, CHI
58) Noah Fant, NO
59) Eli Raridon, NE
60) Daniel Bellinger, TEN
61) Michael Trigg, DAL
62) Mitchell Evans, CAR
63) Tommy Tremble, CAR
64) Charlie Kolar, LAC
65) Jackson Hawes, BUF
66) Austin Hooper, ATL
67) Jeremy Ruckert, NYJ
68) Thomas Fidone II, NYG
69) Taysom Hill, FA
70) Erick All Jr., CIN
