Week 7 at New York Jets
Kyle Rudolph had a decent game for a TE last week, finishing with four catches for 37 yards. Rudolph hasn't been spectacular, but he's the 9th-highest scoring tight end in fantasy this season.
He gets a decent matchup against the Jets this week. New York had been tough on the position until last week when the Colts put up over 100 yards with the position. You can expect a typical Rudolph-type game this week, where he hovers at the bottom of TE1 territory.
Week 6 vs. Arizona Cardinals
Even with Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs having big years, Kyle Rudolph has carved out a nice role for himself. He isn't lighting the world on fire, but he's had 5+ catches and 40+ yards in four straight games. He hasn't been a redzone threat like we expected, but two touchdowns isn't awful.
In a league with several unreliable, unproductive tight ends, Rudolph can be seen as a low-end TE1 play against the Cardinals in Week 6.
Week 5 at Philadelphia Eagles
Kyle Rudolph is averaging 44 yards per game this season and has found the endzone twice. And for owners in PPR leagues, Rudolph has had at least five catches in three straight games for Minnesota. He hasn't been dominant, but he's been fairly reliable in a tough position. He gets a tough matchup against the Eagles this week, but should still be viewed as a TE1 choice.
Week 4 at Los Angeles Rams
Kyle Rudolph has had a solid start to 2018. He caught a TD in Week 1, finished 7-72 in Week 2, and caught a TD in Week 3. He's the fifth-highest scoring TE in fantasy so far and has been one of the few putting up fairly consistent production.
He gets an interesting matchup against the Rams this week. The Rams have allowed the fewest points to opposing WRs, but the eighth-most to opposing TEs. We don't expect a monster game from Rudolph, but he should have solid numbers, making him a TE1 candidate.
Week 3 vs. Buffalo Bills
Kyle Rudolph had a solid outing last week, catching seven passes for 72 yards. That's his highest yardage total since the 2016 season and would be a very promising sign for Rudolph if that trend continues.
He gets a favorable matchup this week against the Bills, who allowed over 100 yards to the TE position in Week 1. Rudolph always remains a red zone threat and his increased usage makes him a decent TE1 play vs. Buffalo.
Week 2 at Green Bay Packers
As we said last week, Kyle Rudolph's value in fantasy would rely on him scoring a touchdown. As expected, he finished with just one catch—an 11-yard score. He only saw two targets all game.
This will likely be the case with Rudolph all season long, where he finishes with low yardage and few receptions most games. He's a great red zone threat, which gives him a chance to score most weeks, including in Week 2 against the Packers. He's a low-end TE1 choice vs. Green Bay.
Week 1 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Kyle Rudolph is a strong threat to score in the red zone and he gets a new QB in Kirk Cousins who has had success with TEs in the past. But if Rudolph continues to do what he's done in recent years, then his only real value will come if he finds the end zone. Rudolph doesn't put up many yards, so owners will need to rely on a score for him to be worthy of a start. He's still a low-end TE1 play against the 49ers.
Fantasy Upside
Although the numbers may not look like it, Kyle Rudolph finished 2017 as the No. 8 scoring tight end in fantasy. Rudolph did a lot of his work in the red zone, catching 14-of-16 targets for seven of his eight touchdowns. He gets a new quarterback this year in Kirk Cousins, who has had success with tight ends in the past, so expect Rudolph to continue to get red zone looks.
Fantasy Downside
While Rudolph finished eighth in tight end scoring last year, that speaks more to the shallow pool of tight ends than it does about his skill set. Rudolph finished with 532 yards on 57 receptions, which isn’t that great. He only had two games above 50 yards receiving last year while he had six games under 30 yards. If he doesn’t catch a touchdown, he doesn’t put up numbers. In fact, in standard scoring, Rudolph has only delivered one game in seven seasons above seven fantasy points without a score.
2018 Bottom Line
Rudolph has been a decent fantasy option the last two seasons, but he’s very touchdown dependent. If he scores then he’s worth a start, but if he doesn’t, then you’re going to regret having him as your starting tight end. Expect more of the same from him in 2018, which should be low-end TE1 numbers.
NFC Conference Championship at Philadelphia Eagles
Kyle Rudolph had a strong PPR outing last week, finishing with 5 receptions but he somehow managed to only finish with 28 yards. It's actually kind of impressive to manage so few yards on so many catches, but Rudolph has made an entire season of that happen.
In 17 games this season, Rudolph has only topped 50 yards twice, but he's had at least 5 catches seven times. He also finished with 8 touchdowns, which makes him a very frustrating player in PPR formats, because he may not do much, but he does enough to stay relevant. That will be the case this week as he should be viewed as a top-three tight end option, mainly because the position is pretty shallow at this point.
Divisional Round vs. Saints
Kyle Rudolph ended the season terribly, finishing with 4 total catches in his last three games. He wasn't overly impressive this season, going over 50 yards just twice. His only redeeming quality is he's a strong red zone presence, finishing with 8 touchdowns in 2017.
So, basically with Rudolph, you're just hoping for a score. Which is entirely possible. He gets a decent matchup against the Saints, who just allowed a 100-yard game to Greg Olsen a week ago. Rudolph isn't the best option this week, but you can do much worse.
