Charlie Kolar fantasy football news and podcast insights

Kolar opened in a 2-TE set with Justin Herbert under center in preseason Week 2, rather than pass-only Oronde Gadsden II, backing up what was heard from training camp. Kolar was a receiving prospect out of college and mixed in next to prime Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely with Jim Harbaugh's brother in Baltimore. The source says he has real fantasy appeal despite what the spreadsheets say and will be the Chargers' leader in TE snaps.

PositiveRoleAug 21, 2026Yahoo Fantasy Football

PositiveNewsAug 21, 2026Zain Dhanani

Tight Ten: De'Zhaun Stribling Breakout & Charlie Coca Kolar - Film & Fantasy Review Session | Aug 21 <https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1qKVmygQjolxB>

PositiveUsageAug 21, 2026Zain Dhanani

Chargers Review with Herbert (3 snaps - small sample): Ladd McConkey played all 3 positions - signaling they could just going to move him around all the time (they should - he can do it all) - he came out after this with Herbert Omarion Hampton got all 3 RB reps and sat after this, then Keaton Mitchell came in and stayed in until the early 2nd, then Vidal came in (clear 3rd - no overlap w/ Mitchell) Vidal did only play the 2nd Q, so it still signals they pulled him earlier than traditional 3r...

PositiveUsageAug 21, 2026Dataroma

Dataromaon X

Important fantasy takeaways from last night’s preseason action (Thursday 8/20): + Tre Tucker rests w/ starters while Nailor plays, clear WR1? + Malik Benson > Jack Bech this week. Assume Benson is the Tucker replacement right now, not great for Bech + Mike Washington hits on another explosive, clear RB2 behind Jeanty and a great late round pick + Woody Marks gets every 1st team rep w/o Montgomery, continue to believe he has a real role + Gadsden seems like clear TE3 right now. Maybe things ch...

PositiveNewsAug 21, 2026Adam Levitan

Adam Levitanon X

Things that could matter from Thursday night's preseason slate: 1. De'Zhaun Stribling fucks 2. Mike Washington fucks 3. Oronde Gadsden has played clearly behind Kolar and Njoku both weeks 4. Tre Tucker rested, Jalen Nailor played 5. Kaelon Black is healthy, Jordan James is not

Kolar caught a 9-yard pass from Justin Herbert on second-and-11 in the Chargers' opening series, though the drive ultimately stalled with Herbert unable to connect with Ladd McConkey on third-and-2.

NegativeRoleAug 21, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Kolar caught a pass from Herbert for a gain of nine yards on the Chargers' opening drive, moving the chains to bring up third-and-two before the drive stalled.

PositiveUsageAug 21, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Kolar caught a pass from Herbert for a gain of nine yards on the Chargers' opening drive, moving the chains to bring up third-and-two before the drive stalled.

NegativeUsageAug 21, 2026Bolts From The Blue

PositiveNewsAug 21, 2026Adam

Adamon X

Eff it Charlie Kolar highlights

PositiveUsageAug 21, 202632BeatWriters

32BeatWriterson X

Chargers TE snap count after 2 drives Charlie Kolar 8 (2 11 personnel, 4 12 personnel, 2 21 personnel) David Njoku 5 (0 11 personnel, 4 12 personnel, 1 21 personnel) Out of 9 plays

Kolar caught a 9-yard pass from Justin Herbert while Herbert was rolling to his left on the second play of the Chargers' preseason game against the 49ers.

PositiveUsageAug 21, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

PositiveValueAug 21, 2026Ian Hartitz

Ian Hartitzon X

Charlie Kolar caught a preseason pass. Round 7 fantasy treatment incoming

Kolar is considered a starter for the Chargers and will get preseason action Thursday night. Despite being one of the best run-blocking tight ends in the NFL, he has untapped receiving ability that was not often used in Baltimore with Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely on the same offense. With the Chargers under Mike McDaniel, you can fully expect McDaniel to find a way to utilize his 6'6, 265-pound pass-catcher; the source notes McDaniel's personnel allows them to run everything and there are lots of Charlie Kolar TE versatility in camp.

PositiveRoleAug 19, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Kolar is considered a starter for the Chargers and will likely play one preseason game, offering a first look at how Mike McDaniel plans to use him in his offense. Despite being one of the best run-blocking tight ends in the NFL, Kolar has always had untapped receiving ability that was not often used in Baltimore with both Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely on the same offense. With the Chargers, McDaniel is expected to fully utilize his 6'6", 265-pound pass-catcher's receiving skills.

PositiveRoleAug 19, 2026Bolts From The Blue

Kolar is one of the Chargers' biggest offseason additions, representing a modest upgrade at tight end. The Chargers' offseason was characterized by minimal star acquisitions and heavy reliance on rookies and internal development, with Kolar being among the few notable additions.

NegativeRoleAug 18, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Charlie Kolar was brought in by the Chargers to play tight end, competing with Oronde Gadsden II for targets and potentially limiting Gadsden's role despite his rookie upside.

NegativeRoleAug 18, 2026FantasyPros Articles

Charlie Kolar got the day off with the rest of the Chargers starters; all training camp talk indicates he will have a starting role as a blocker, confirming his locked-in starter status.

PositiveRoleAug 17, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Charlie Kolar got the day off with the rest of the Chargers starters; all talk out of training camp has been that Kolar will have a starting role as a blocker, with Njoku and Gadsden fighting for No. 2 reps.

PositiveRoleAug 17, 2026NBC Sports Rotoworld

PositiveUsageAug 14, 2026Zain Dhanani

Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, & Tre Harris did not play last night Charlie Kolar & David Njoku did not play Omarion Hampton, Keaton Mitchell, & Alec Ingold did not play Oronde Gadsden has to compete with Harris, Kolar, Njoku, & Ingold for snaps/routes - a bad bet

Training camp standout TE held out in preseason Week 1 along with RB Keaton Mitchell; source notes 'That's great news for their sleeper appeal.'

PositiveValueAug 14, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Kolar was held out in preseason Week 1 as a training camp standout for the Chargers; his absence is great news for his sleeper appeal heading into the regular season.

PositiveSleeperAug 14, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Chargers TE was held out of preseason Week 1 after strong training camp performance, which is positive for his sleeper appeal and suggests confidence in his role.

PositiveRoleAug 14, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Charlie Kolar is identified as a late-round target because he is reportedly moving around the formation and taking on receiving tight end responsibilities.

PositiveSleeperAug 13, 2026Legendary Upside

PositiveNewsAug 12, 2026Mark Dankenbring

Mark Dankenbringon X

What if I told you Alec Ingold's 19 receptions equals Charlie Kolar's output over the last two seasons AND he was also brought in by Mike McDaniel as a featured piece of McDaniel's offensive system...

Part of the Chargers' three-headed tight end monster alongside David Njoku and Oronde Gadsden. Each has seen a good amount of reps in various packages throughout training camp and all should see the field quite a bit during the regular season. The preseason game will help indicate a pecking order among the three.

PositiveRoleAug 12, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Tight end Charlie Kolar caught a 7-on-7 touchdown during training camp when Herbert had multiple target options in his view simultaneously, including McConkey running an outbreaking route. McDaniel emphasized that Kolar's ability to be one of several options allows Herbert to see the defense and throw two different routes in the same timing, keeping him from getting hit while creating matchup opportunities for all personnel.

PositiveRoleAug 12, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Charlie Kolar is utilized as a floor play in five-tight-end roster builds to mitigate the risk of benching for quarterbacks like Tua Tagovailoa, Geno Smith, Jacoby Brissett, or Malik Willis.

NegativeUsageAug 11, 2026Legendary Upside

Kolar, signed to a three-year, $24.3 million contract, is the source's preferred choice to lead the Chargers' TE rotation over Gadsden and Njoku; his college production (2,181 yards and 23 TD at Iowa State) reflects potential beyond just blocking, though weekly fantasy consideration is unlikely.

PositiveValueAug 10, 2026RotoWire NFL Articles

PositiveNewsAug 10, 2026Zain Dhanani

Sounds like Jim Harbaugh won't play starters until Week 2 and 3 of the preseason, so it will be imperative to see who actually plays Week 1 per @LockedonLAC (Kolar? Gadsden? Njoku? Mitchell? Vidal? Tre Harris?)

PositiveDepth ChartAug 10, 2026Zain Dhanani

Chargers unofficial depth chart: Interesting to see the Keaton Mitchel OR Kimani Vidal Ladd and QJ starters with Tre Harris as a backup 3-way starters at TE between Charlie Kolar, Oronde Gadsden, and David Njoku Still think Vidal is underrated as a handcuff Via @chargers

Charlie Kolar was signed by the Dolphins this offseason and is ahead of Oronde Gadsden in the tight end pecking order. His superior blocking makes him a preferred option in Mike McDaniel's offense.

PositiveRoleAug 9, 2026FantasyPros Articles

PositiveDepth ChartAug 9, 2026Zain Dhanani

Most of the article is about Oronde Gadsden learning how to block and acknowledging that’s how you get on the field Then he’s talking about accepting a special teams role with Kolar and Njoku ahead on the depth chart Take: there’s obviously scenarios where this goes his way, but it feels increasingly unlikely. I really liked the profile and even a month ago I was in - now I’m leaning out bc I don’t think he sees the field enough to matter in fantasy. Via @alexinsdorf99

Charlie Kolar is a recommended late-round target for best-ball stacks; he will be on the field for most sets and is expected to be a high-efficiency weapon in the team's play-action passing game.

PositiveSleeperAug 8, 2026Fantasy Football Advice

Kolar is expected to serve as the primary Y tight end in early-down 11 personnel sets, though his receiving upside remains speculative given his career high of only 10 receptions; he is considered a viable 18th-round best ball pick due to his strong college profile at Iowa State.

NegativeRoleAug 7, 2026The Long View Podcast

Charlie Kolar is currently the clear tight end one in camp, receiving consistent praise from the coaching staff, which has negatively impacted the outlook for other tight ends on the roster.

PositiveDepth ChartAug 7, 2026The Long View Podcast

James Cook notes the Chargers gave Charlie Kolar a $25 million deal ($17 million guaranteed), describing him as a great blocking tight end who will also be used in the receiving game. Cook cites this investment as part of Mike McDaniel's heavy-personnel offensive construction, signaling Kolar's role in the run-first, play-action-heavy scheme.

NegativeRoleAug 5, 2026Fantasy Football Advice

Charlie Kolar is part of a promising tight end trio (alongside Oronde Gadsden II and David Njoku) that should benefit from McDaniel's high-octane offensive system in Los Angeles.

PositiveRoleAug 4, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Charlie Kolar is part of a promising tight end trio expected to benefit from McDaniel's high-octane offensive system; the impact should be felt across the entire offense including the tight end group.

PositiveRoleAug 4, 2026Bolts From The Blue

PositiveNewsAug 1, 2026Underdog NFL

Underdog NFLon X

Chargers TE Charlie Kolar on working with OC Mike McDaniel: “It’s awesome. I don’t know what he’s going to say most of the time.”