Should I start Oronde Gadsden, Jake Ferguson, Dalton Kincaid for Week 9? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2025 NFL season.
While it isn't as flashy or deep as some of the other fantasy football positions, tight end is always a critical slot to fill in your lineup each week. The lack of depth at the position actually makes production even more important, and several strong options have emerged as the season has unfolded, bringing good upside and potential leverage this week.
In this article, we will see if studs Oronde Gadsden, Jake Ferguson, and Dalton Kincaid should be started for fantasy in Week 9. All three tight ends have been solid in some games and bring a good ceiling to their Week 9 matchups.
So, should fantasy managers start Gadsden, Ferguson, and Kincaid in Week 9? Let's dive in and find out.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
- Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
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- Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
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- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Kicker (K) fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Should I Start Oronde Gadsden for Fantasy Football?
Chargers rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden has burst onto the scene in the last few weeks, and his heavy workload and big numbers make him a starting option in just about every format.
The fifth-round pick out of Syracuse has taken over the starting job from veteran Will Dissly and Tyler Conklin, and he has at least five catches in four games this season. Three of those four games have come in the last three weeks, and he has over 65 yards in each game with a total of 309 yards and two touchdowns.
He showed his extremely high ceiling with seven catches for 164 yards and a touchdown against the Colts in Week 7, and he followed that up in Week 8 by catching all five of his targets for 77 yards and another score against the Vikings on Thursday Night Football.
After 164 yards and a TD last week, rookie Oronde Gadsden is back in the end zone for the @Chargers!
MINvsLAC on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/RAZCq5UpeZ— NFL (@NFL) October 24, 2025
This week, the Chargers have a good matchup as a team as they go on the road to face the Titans, but despite all their struggles, the Titans have actually held opposing tight ends in check for the most part.
Even though the matchup isn't ideal, Gadsden's high volume and impressive momentum make him the No. 5 TE in RotoBaller's Week 9 rankings, making him a strong starter in all but the shallowest of formats.
Should I Start Jake Ferguson for Fantasy Football?
Before Gadsden took off, Ferguson was the hottest tight end in football for a few weeks while he got impressive volume in the Cowboys' pass-heavy attack. He's cooled off, though, coming into Dallas's Monday Night Football matchup with the Cardinals. Is he still a starter? Let's take a look.
He had at least seven catches in four straight games from Week 2 through Week 5. During that stretch, he had a massive 13-catch performance against the Bears and a two-touchdown game against the Jets. He cooled off a little in Week 6 but bounced back with another two-touchdown game against the Commanders in Week 7.
Dak to Ferguson TD x2
WASvsDAL on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/C7TermPwRb
— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025
In Week 8, though, Ferguson shockingly came up empty against the Broncos. He only had one target and didn't have a catch, after getting at least three catches and at least three targets in every game this season. The Broncos' defense played exceptionally well, and the Broncos opened an early lead to throw off Dallas's game plan. Dak Prescott only threw for 188 yards and no touchdowns, while Lemb and George Pickens dominated targets.
In what will hopefully be a more competitive game, Ferguson should be poised for a bounce-back performance this week against the Cardinals. He is the No. 7 tight end in RotoBaller's rankings, and since Arizona has allowed the fourth-most yards to the position, he should be started in all standard-sized leagues. His targets may not be quite as high as when Lamb was out, but he still brings a great ceiling in Dallas's pass-heavy attack.
Should I Start Dalton Kincaid for Fantasy Football?
Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid has been a top-10 producer at the position this season, and he and the Bills have a huge matchup this week against the Chiefs.
Kincaid is coming off a slow game against the Panthers last week, when he caught just one pass for 23 yards in a blowout win. It was still an important game for Kincaid, though, since he missed Week 6 with an oblique injury before the Bills' bye week in Week 7. He split time with Dawson Knox and Jackson Hawes in his return, while easing back into action with no reported setbacks.
Before his oblique injury, Kincaid showed a high ceiling with a big game against the Patriots. He had six catches for a career-high 108 receiving yards in the Bills' Week 5 loss to New England.
This week, he should be in a good spot against the Chiefs, who will force the Bills to stay aggressive on offense in what should be a high-scoring game.
Since he's still just working his way back from injury and is one of many options for Buffalo, Kincaid is only the No. 12 tight end in RotoBaller's rankings. He's more of a fringe starter than Gadsden or Ferguson this week, but he does have enough potential to be a deep-league of fringe option to consider.
Who Should I Start Tool
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 9 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Oronde Gadsden, Jake Ferguson, Dalton Kincaid. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 9. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 9 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Oronde Gadsden, Jake Ferguson, Dalton Kincaid. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 9.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool, but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 9 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 9 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 9 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 9 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Oronde Gadsden, Jake Ferguson, Dalton Kincaid compared to others:
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