Start Oronde Gadsden or Colby Parkinson? Week 8

Our Week 8 call

Start Oronde Gadsden over Colby Parkinson in Week 8.

Market-based projections have Oronde Gadsden at 6.0 points and Colby Parkinson at 5.3, a gap of 0.7. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip. No player market is posted for Oronde Gadsden this week yet, so his 6.0 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5 and 6 (8.2 and 3.8); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. No player market is posted for Colby Parkinson this week yet, so his 5.3 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5, 6 and 7 (5.3, 4.0 and 6.7); the call is rebuilt when his market posts.

What the market projects

No Week 8 player market is posted for Oronde Gadsden yet. His market-based projections were 8.2 and 3.8 points in Weeks 5 and 6, an average of 6.0, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

No Week 8 player market is posted for Colby Parkinson yet. His market-based projections were 5.3, 4.0 and 6.7 points in Weeks 5, 6 and 7, an average of 5.3, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

That puts Oronde Gadsden 0.7 points ahead of Colby Parkinson on these projections.

Week 8 matchups

Oronde Gadsden and LAC visit LAR on Sunday at 4:05 PM ET.

LAR allowed 10.2 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 7 games, the 5th fewest in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 42 yards and 0.1 touchdowns a game against LAR.

Colby Parkinson and LAR host LAC on Sunday at 4:05 PM ET.

LAC allowed 11.1 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 6 games, the 10th fewest in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 58 yards and 0.2 touchdowns a game against LAC.

By points allowed to the position, Colby Parkinson has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Oronde Gadsden is not on the injury report.

Colby Parkinson is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 8

Through Week 6, Oronde Gadsden played 48 percent of LAC snaps, drew 12 percent of the targets, earned 12 percent of the air yards and had 13 percent of the red zone chances.

Oronde Gadsden, Week 3 against BUF: 39 of 69 snaps, 3 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Oronde Gadsden, Week 4 against SEA: 39 of 71 snaps, 1 carry for 2 yards, 8 targets and 5 catches for 36 yards.

Oronde Gadsden, Week 5 against DEN: 39 of 67 snaps, 1 target and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Oronde Gadsden, Week 6 against KC: 33 of 68 snaps, 5 targets and 3 catches for 17 yards.

Through Week 7, Colby Parkinson played 63 percent of LAR snaps, drew 9 percent of the targets, earned 2 percent of the air yards and had 8 percent of the red zone chances.

Colby Parkinson, Week 3 against DEN: 37 of 86 snaps, 1 target and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Colby Parkinson, Week 5 against BUF: 53 of 82 snaps, 2 targets and 1 catch for 3 yards.

Colby Parkinson, Week 6 against ARI: 36 of 58 snaps, 6 targets and 5 catches for 31 yards, 1 touchdown.

Colby Parkinson, Week 7 against LV: 50 of 72 snaps, 6 targets and 5 catches for 48 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Oronde Gadsden played 15 games for LAC and scored 131.4 PPR points, 8.8 a game, finishing TE15.

He caught 49 of 69 targets for 664 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 14 red zone targets and 443 air yards.

He was on the field for 63 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, Colby Parkinson played 15 games for LAR and scored 129.8 PPR points, 8.7 a game, finishing TE17.

He caught 43 of 56 targets for 408 yards and 8 touchdowns, with 20 red zone targets and 137 air yards.

He was on the field for 59 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 8 calls

• Start AJ Barner over Oronde Gadsden.
• Start Chig Okonkwo over Oronde Gadsden.
• Start Darnell Washington over Oronde Gadsden.
• Start AJ Barner over Colby Parkinson.
• Start Chig Okonkwo over Colby Parkinson.
• Start Darnell Washington over Colby Parkinson.