Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph (back surgery) admitted he hasn't felt like his old self since returning to the lineup back in Week 12 against the Green Bay Packers, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Rudolph has 24 catches for 231 yards and two touchdowns in seven games this season.
Kyle Rudolph admits he’s still recovering from surgery, should be in fantasy exile
The Vikings’ tight end admitted he’s not fully healthy. We break down the fantasy implications.
John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
Fantasy Impact: Rudolph was viewed as a rare talent coming out of the NFL draft four years ago. Since that time, however, his career has been marred by a plethora of injuries.
Add those injuries to the fact that Rudolph has never had the benefit of playing for a good quarterback for an extended period of time and it’s easy to see why he hasn’t reached his full potential.
Nobody in their right frame of mind would expect a player to come back at full strength from back surgery in the same season, so there is still hope that Rudolph will one day be in top form, hopefully by the time Week 1 of the 2015 campaign rolls around.
Rudolph did manage a season-high seven catches for 69 yards last week, but a tough Week 16 matchup against the Miami Dolphins and a lack of targets on the year overall both represent good reasons to avoid starting Rudolph this week.
