Oronde Gadsden

Two weeks at 0.0 in five tries, week 3 of 2026 and week 5 of 2026, are why nobody is starting him, and they sit on top of a 4.8 points a game pace that runs well under the 8.8 he gave managers over 15 games last season. The one number that keeps us from cutting him: 8.8 yards of average depth of target, fourth among tight ends with 15 or more targets. That is not a checkdown profile. It is a deep-leaning one, and one touchdown so far means the big plays have not landed yet.

The role is the puzzle. He is listed third among Los Angeles tight ends, behind Charlie Kolar and David Njoku, and last season he ran at a 61.5% snap share that ranked 27th among 137 qualifying tight ends while Keenan Allen and Ladd McConkey soaked up 43% of the targets between them. Mike McDaniel calling the offense for the first time is either the unlock or another year of the same. Jim Harbaugh staying put says the run lean stays too, and 34.1 seconds a play in 2025 was already one of the slower clocks in the league.

Our preseason number was 79 points with a middle range of 60 to 97, built on 14 expected games, and five weeks in he is tracking below the 5.6 a game pace we set. His bye lands in week 7 of 2026, so there is no lineup reason to keep him warm past it. If he goes for 8 or more in his next game, hold. If he posts another zero, we would let him go and spend the spot on someone who catches the ball near the goal line.