Chargers Gerald Everett, Donald Parham top fantasy options at TE

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Drafting Chargers receivers this fantasy year is a wild proposition, given the amount of options Hebert has at his disposal.

When healthy, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are one of the most talented receiver tandems in the league. Quentin Johnston is sure to get plenty of opportunities in his rookie year, Josh Palmer is a reliable rotational receiver, Darius Davis should get some sneaky playmaking opportunities, and Jalen Guyton is sure to return to his role as a deep-ball specialist.

Oh yeah… and there’s also a running back coming off a 107 catch season.

It’s easy to assume that the ball will be dropped in 2023! In that case, how many targets are left for the Bolts tight end?

Gerald Everett – high floor/low ceiling, or breakout candidate?

Gerald Everett has been given many opportunities in his career to take over as a team’s top tight end. Despite being drafted in the second round by the Rams, he never blossomed as their go-to starter. He then left for the Seattle Seahawks in 2021, and started a career-high 12 games. This was the season where we saw Russell Wilson play off a cliff, and Everett was held to just 48 catches, 478 yards and four touchdowns. He arrived in Los Angeles last season and put up his best numbers, a 58 catch, 555 yard, four touchdown season.

Everett is already in his contract year, and it’s hard to see the Chargers extending him next year given their dire situation. With his AAV currently set at $6,000,000, a solid year for Everett should elevate him above the figure the Bolts can afford.

PFF currently projects Everett to essentially match his 2022 numbers with 53.6 catches, 521.3 yards, 3.7 line, setting him as their TE12. With the offensive line healthy, an intact Justin Herbert ribcage, and Kellen Moore calling plays, I believe the offense is not going down from last year’s numbers. As long as Herbert is healthy, every offensive player (except Ekeler) should be expected to surpass their 2022 numbers.

The biggest threat to Everetts production is a player who signed a two-year deal this offseason.

Is 2023 the year of the Chicken Parm?

Donald Parham is widely assumed to be back with the Chargers in 2023, if health allows his career to continue. He entered the offseason as an RFA, but in order for the Chargers to grant him the minimum right-of-refusal amount, his salary would be $2,627,000. Instead, Parham was allowed to become a UFA, and was soon signed by the Chargers to a two-year, $2,565,000 deal. That sets up tight room to feature only Parham and Tre McKitty in 2024, giving him a chance to prove he can be the guy in 2024.

Because of this, fans should expect Donald to be tested in 2023. Can he stay healthy for a full season for the first time in his career? Will he show his talents and ability to be an every-down, complete tight end and not just an elite red zone threat?

Who should you roll the dice with?

Gerald Everett is just a risky proposition from a fantasy perspective. Because of his TE12 ranking on PFF, he really needs to be drafted as a projected starter, meaning fantasy managers will either draft him TE2 very early, or late while prioritizing other positions.

While Everett certainly has talent and upside, he is very low in the Chargers red zone pecking order. Mike Williams, Keenan Allen, Quentin Johnston, Austin Ekeler, and Donald Parham can all surpass his looks in the redzone. Herbert also didn’t use the tight end position as his safety net like many quarterbacks do, instead usually looking to Austin Ekeler.

Donald Parham is an intriguing option in my opinion. He is currently ranked as PFFs TE44, which gives him room to go undrafted in most leagues. There’s an argument that with his red zone proficiency, athletic profile, and teams wanting to test if he can be a bridge starter next season, there’s a chance he could actually surpass Everett in production.

I just wouldn’t draft either tight end to be a starter on any of my fantasy teams. If Everett goes over TE16 in my draft, I’d consider taking him as insurance for my starter, but won’t use the draft capital that would likely be needed to get him when he scraps for touches and red zone targets.

I’ll probably take some late-round fliers on Parham, before I pick my kicker and defense. He’s a great story, almost worthless, and has a chance to make some noise this season. As a bonus, most of my leagues are keeper leagues which give an extra boost!

This is more than a controversial acquisition, so what do you think? Would you consider drafting either of these two players?

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