Chargers’ Oronde Gadsden II benched by father in fantasy football despite breakout game vs. Colts

Apparently, it’ll take more than one big game for Chargers rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden II to earn a spot on his dad’s fantasy football team. 

A fifth-round pick, Gadsden has caught 14 passes in the Chargers’ last two games. During last Sunday’s loss to the Chargers, Gadsden caught seven passes for 164 yards and a touchdown while racking up 29.4 fantasy points. It was the fourth-most receiving yards for a rookie tight end in NFL history and the most by a Chargers tight end since Hall of Famer Antonio Gates back in 2009. 

Despite all of that success, his father, former Dolphins wideout Oronde Gadsden, said that he will continue to omit his son from his fantasy football starting lineup. 

“It’s the second week in a row I’ve lost by under 10 points, and in my league they were like, ‘What dad leaves his son on the bench?’” Gadsden told the “Hoch, Crowder and Solana” show in South Florida, via ESPN. “He’s going to stay on the bench. Nobody else got him, we cool with it, I’m cool.

“He gon’ ride the pine!”

Gadsden has earned the praise of several Chargers, including his quarterback Justin Herbert, who has quickly developed a rapport with his young teammate. 

“I think he did an incredible job,” Herbert said after last week’s game. “He found ways to get open and when we needed him most, he stepped up big time.

“He’s done a great job all year and he’s going to continue to make big plays for us,” 

Gadsden will look to have another big game Thursday night against a Vikings defense that is currently seventh in the NFL in fewest passing yards allowed.