Week 11 vs. Green Bay
If you've been reading Kyle Rudolph's weekly scouting reports by me then you'll know he had a strange six-game streak of catching two passes heading into Week 9. Well, Rudolph's streak was snapped. He only had one catch in Week 10. Rudolph is only valuable when he scores a touchdown and he hasn't done that in three games.
Week 10 at Oakland
It's really amazing how consistently below-average Kyle Rudolph has been this season. He continued his two-catch streak to six games last week. There's only so much a player can do with two catches in a game. Unless one of those two receptions goes for a touchdown, Rudolph won't produce enough points to be relevant. That's where there's good news. Rudolph will go up against a Raiders defense that has allowed a touchdown to a tight end in every game but one this season.
Week 9 vs. St. Louis
Kyle Rudolph has two receptions in five consecutive games. He's only valuable when he scores a touchdown, which is difficult to predict. Basically if you start Rudolph, you're just hoping he scores a touchdown.
Week 8 at Chicago
Kyle Rudolph has a few streaks going on at the moment. He has four consecutive games with just two catches, but he also has two games in a row with a touchdown. Through six games, Rudolph has caught three touchdowns, which makes him a red zone threat.
The problem is, when Rudolph doesn't find the end zone, he doesn't do anything else. He's simply a boom-or-bust option at this point. He'll face a Bears team this week that has been tough against the tight end position.
Week 7 at Detroit
Kyle Rudolph caught his second touchdown of the season last week, but that's pretty much all he did. In his last three games combined, Rudolph has six receptions for 30 yards. He's not much of an option moving forward.
Week 6 vs. Kansas City
If Mike Wallace (knee) and Charles Johnson (rib) are inactive this week, Teddy Bridgewater may need to rely on Kyle Rudolph. It's unlikely, though. Rudolph hasn't been very productive all season. He's not really worth consideration.
Week 4 vs. Denver
Kyle Rudolph has been mildly successful this season, but last week failed to put up a big game. He had two receptions for 14 yards in Week 3, both are the lows for him this season. His numbers are likely to remain low in Week 4 against Denver's tough pass defense. We're not expecting Teddy Bridgewater to have a good game, which means Rudolph will suffer as a result. His potential makes him a low-end TE1, but he's not exactly a strong play.
Week 3 vs. San Diego
Kyle Rudolph leads the Vikings in targets (13) and receptions (10) and has the only receiving touchdown on the team. He's clearly a big part of the offense, but it doesn't mean a whole lot when the Vikings don't throw the ball that often. Rudolph is still a low-end TE1 based on his volume and the lack of talent around the league, but he's not considered as a great option this week.
Week 2 vs. Detroit
Kyle Rudolph's seven targets in Week 1 tied for the most targets among Vikings pass catchers, and he also finished second on the team in receptions (5) and yards( 53). It's not a bad outing for a player who is still trying to find his way as a top talent at his position. He should be viewed as a low-end TE1 in a decent matchup against the Lions this week.
Week 1 vs. San Francisco
We're still waiting for Kyle Rudolph to have a breakout season. He's dealt with injuries in each of the last two years and missed a lot of games. He's healthy this year, but he needs to prove his worth as a trusted option. While Rudolph may not exactly be a sexy pick this week, he's still a low-end TE1 due to the lack of top options at the TE position. He'll get a decent matchup against a San Francisco defense that lost some key linebackers this offseason.
