Fantasy Football Week 9 Tight End Who Should I Start? Oronde Gadsden, Travis Kelce, and More

Oronde Gadsden has burst onto the scene in both real and fantasy football. The Chargers drafted the rookie in the fifth round out of Syracuse, a range where guys usually don't make an early impact. We see surprises every year, though, and Gadsden is one of those pleasant surprises in the first half.

Despite not playing in the first two weeks and easing into the lineup after that, Gadsden is a top-12 tight end in both standard and PPR. After three straight good games, Gadsden is all over the fantasy radar, and with that, he is showing up often on our FantasySP start/sit tool.

Let's look at Gadsden and four tight ends who he has been compared to often on the start/sit tool. We'll do a head-to-head quick-hit exercise and determine the best starter in each situation. Most stats are from NFL.com.

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Oronde Gadsden, Los Angeles Chargers @ Tennessee Titans

His past three games are those of a tight end we would never bench in fantasy:

• Week 6 @ Dolphins: 7 catches, 68 yards
• Week 7 vs. Colts: 7 catches, 164 yards, 1 touchdown
• Week 8 vs. Vikings: 5 catches, 77 yards, 1 touchdown

All three of those matchups were in his favor, so I'm waiting to see him do it against tougher competition and over a longer time span before calling him a weekly starter. What he has done makes him impossible to ignore, though.

Tennessee has given up the fourth-most yards per pass attempt but the eighth-fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends; it's not exactly a straightforward matchup. The better fantasy performance has to do with volume more than the Titans' own prowess: Tennessee has faced the ninth-fewest pass attempts, and seven teams in front of them have already had their bye.

There's risk of low volume here if the Chargers take a big lead; it's been happening against the Titans all year. There is also a chance for Gadsden to do damage against a poor team when LA does throw the ball, making him a good fantasy option.

Since Gadsden wasn't drafted by any fantasy owners, those who have him often have another tight end with a bigger name, making some interesting lineup decisions.

Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Bowers suffered an injury in Week 1 and played the next three games while compromised, putting up only modest stats. Bowers sat out the three games before Vegas' Week 8 bye, but he is returning for this one and is reportedly good to go full speed.

There's a little risk; Bowers didn't look like himself when he was injured. Everything coming from the Raiders says he's back to 100%, though, and that means a must-start fantasy player.

The Jaguars are right in the middle in both yards per pass attempt allowed and fantasy points given up to tight ends, making for a neutral matchup. Even if they were tougher, Bowers is matchup-proof when he's on.

Advice: Start Brock Bowers over Oronde Gadsden.

Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals

Ferguson has been a high-volume player all season, but he had a shockingly slow game last week, getting shut out with just one target. That was a tougher matchup against the Broncos, but Ferguson had averaged 7.3 receptions per game before that.

The Cardinals are opposite of the Titans in that they are allowing the seventh-fewest yards per pass attempt but the seventh-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. Though they are a successful defense, TEs have found success. The position has averaged 68.7 receiving yards per game, and while they have scored just three touchdowns, they have all come in the previous four games.

Advice: This is a tough one, as Ferguson had been successful until last week. He is a better PPR player, seeing much less value when he doesn't get extra credit for short receptions. Start Gadsden over Ferguson in standard, but it's worth considering Ferguson in PPR (I still like Gadsden's ceiling better).

Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs @ Buffalo Bills

Kelce has generally looked more good than great over the past few years, falling in line with other tight ends in fantasy rather than hovering above them. He has found success recently, topping 50 yards in the past four games and scoring two touchdowns in that time.

The Bills are a tough tight end matchup, allowing the ninth-fewest yards per pass attempt and the second-fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends. There's always a chance that Kelce can have a big game given his ceiling, but this is more likely to be a slow week.

Starting someone like Gadsden over a big name like Kelce is scary because it's easy to look back and feel like a fool if the veteran comes out on the better side; the safe play is to go with the KC tight end. Those willing to take a risk have more upside in the rookie option this week, though.

Advice: Start Oronde Gadsden over Travis Kelce.

Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings

LaPorta has been inconsistent, topping 50 yards three times (and scoring a touchdown in two of those games) but falling below 40 yards four other times with no touchdowns in those contests. He is TE13 in both standard and PPR despite already having his bye; he has been fine.

The Vikings have given up the seventh-most yards per pass attempt and sit right in the middle in fantasy points given up to tight ends. I mentioned above that Gadsden had a good day against Minnesota last week, catching five passes for 77 yards and a touchdown.

LaPorta is a good fantasy player, but he hasn't been up to that elite level that he showed as a rookie. It's best to think of him as close to a weekly starter but worth considering with the matchup. With a good matchup here, he has a positive outlook for Week 9.

Advice: This is a tough one, as both LaPorta and Gadsden have good matchups, but I'll give the slight advantage to the guy we have a longer track record from. Start Sam LaPorta over Oronde Gadsden, though it's worth consideration.