Welcome to Week 10 of the 2025 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. We split the conversation into separate features.
This week's roundtable features these four topics:
- RB Rebound Candidate
- Can These RBs Keep It Going?
- Can These TEs Keep It Going?
- Hot Week 9 Performers
Let's roll...
Matt Waldman: These three TEs have been fantasy starters since Week 5 in October.
- Oronde Gadsden (TE1)
- Harold Fannin Jr. (TE8)
- Theo Johnson (TE9)
Pick your bet as the player who remains as your best bet to remain among the top 12 for the rest of the year?
Jeff Blaylock: I bet I'll be contrarian here and go with Johnson, who is second on the Giants in targets and routes run behind Wan'Dale Robinson. He's seventh in the league among tight ends in routes run and sixth in red-zone routes run, according to Fantasy Points Data. He has as many red-zone targets as Gadsden and more than double the number for Fannin.
The team is down two of its most dynamic playmakers in Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo, who are both sadly lost for the season. Daniel Bellinger is currently out with a neck injury but is expected to return. Even when he was healthy, Bellinger was a clear TE2 behind Johnson.
The team's other tight ends pose no threat to Johnson's productivity. Nearly two-thirds of Johnson's targets have come since Jaxson Dart became the starter, and he has as many as all the running backs combined. He has quickly become a reliable security blanket for his rookie quarterback.
He has less competition for targets than Gadsden and Fannin. Johnson is more touchdown-dependent than the other two, so he may have more volatility in weekly fantasy points, but he's far more likely to be under fantasy managers' radars, making him a much less expensive acquisition than the trendier tight ends.
Matt Montgomery: Oronde Gadsden feels like the right choice here, but I think there is also an argument for Harold Fannin Jr. Gadsden has a more plug-and-play situation and took longer to ascend into the zeitgeist of the fantasy football world. Now that he's here, we need to embrace the fact that he will be a top talent at the position for a long time.
The offense is missing some key pieces on the offensive line, and I think the way the Chargers will combat this is by shrinking the field and focusing on getting the ball out of Herbert's hands fast. The fastest option? Quick targets to a reliable receiver at tight end, which we have seen succeed at a very high level.
Andy Hicks: Oronde Gadsden is not a fluke. He also has the most accomplished quarterback from the list throwing to him.
Gadsden has at least five targets in each of the last four weeks with an almost 90 percent reception conversion rate. He is seeing the majority of the team's snaps now and can hold his own as a blocker.
The yardage and touchdown numbers are on a path to an elite fantasy season, let alone for a rookie. And a fifth-round rookie at that. Until Omarion Hampton returns, the team's lack of a strong running game forces it to utilize its strengths at quarterback and receiver.
With Ladd McConkey, Keenan Allen, and Quentin Johnston in the mix, Gadsden will have down games. However, the soft schedule of pass defenses should still help Gadsden remain fantasy relevant.
