David Njoku Ruins Fantasy Outlook for Chargers TEs

What They're Saying

Chargers reporter/blogger Alex Insdorf: "Think after not getting a TE in the draft, you just needed another receiving target in the room to build out the depth a little bit and not put too much receiving pressure on Kolar. Whether it was [Will Dissly, Tucker Fisk, or] anyone else over the last few years, feel like the Chargers have seen what blocking TEs *needing* to produce receiving volume looks like."

G.C. Bellchamber of BoltBeat, after reports that Njoku would visit the Chargers: "Although [Oronde] Gadsden was a breakout offensive contributor in his rookie campaign, he still has serious deficits as a blocker. The addition of Kolar was a direct response to that. But Kolar saw just 15 targets all of last season. The Chargers need a sort of go-between -- someone who can complement Gadsden as a pass catcher while simultaneously holding his own if the team wants to run multiple-tight-end sets."

2026 Fantasy Football Impact

Njoku lingering on the free-agent market into mid-May -- especially in a TE-happy NFL era -- had already indicated we shouldn't count on him for 2026 fantasy production. Landing with the Chargers solidifies that.

Njoku joins a crowded depth chart with Gadsden, a 2025 rookie; and Kolar, who signed a three-year, $24.3 million deal in free agency this offseason.

Njoku's best hope at fantasy relevance will be a Gadsden injury that would likely propel him into the lead pass-catching role at TE. That's not a guy worth drafting in basically any fantasy format.

New OC Mike McDaniel only clouds that value further with his lackluster history of supporting TE value. Miami TEs ranked 30th, 32nd, sixth, and 21st in total PPR points in McDaniel’s four years as head man. The 2024 high point found Jonnu Smith catching a team-high 88 passes while WR Jaylen Waddle dealt with injuries and QB Tua Tagovailoa missed six games.

Other Winners & Losers

Gadsden deserves the most fantasy attention here. His best ball ADP sits 10th at the position as of this writing, which was too high even before Njoku arrived. And even that marked nearly a full-round dip from his rank toward the start of best ball drafting.

Expect Gadsden's ADP to sink further, but you can also expect him to move down our half-PPR rankings. He checked in 15th there before Njoku.

Gadsden flashed impressive receiving ability as a fifth-round rookie, but the blocking deficiency will clearly keep him from full playing time. The Kolar signing -- at $8.1 million per year -- already signaled that.

Don't plan to count on Gadsden for fantasy points this season.

Njoku's arrival also signals the Chargers don't expect to employ Kolar's pass catching much more than the Ravens did. Forget about him as even an end-of-draft flier for TE-premium.

Dynasty Impact

Gadsden's OK to hold long term, and this might even create a slight "buy" window.

Njoku's clearly a short-term option. And the signal that Kolar won't catch many passes helps Gadsden beyond this season. He'll still need to improve his blocking, though, and/or hope for a different offensive scheme beyond 2026.

McDaniel certainly could be a HC candidate after this season, given that he took some such interviews after the Dolphins dumped him this past winter.

Just don't overpay to chase Gadsden's rookie-year flashes. It's worth remembering that 49% of his rookie-year catches came in a four-game stretch -- weeks 6-9 -- that coincided with:

• two missed games for WR Quentin Johnston
• four missed games apiece for RBs Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton

Gadsden averaged 2.3 receptions across his other 11 outings and played just 45% of the snaps in the playoff loss at New England. Check our dynasty trade value charts for pricing that fits your format, if you're interested in Gadsden. He's certainly not a "must" target.