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One of the most popular tight ends flying up fantasy football draft boards this offseason has been Kyle Rudolph of the Minnesota Vikings.
Rudolph was once just a mid-level tight end, but the addition of O.C. Norv Turner has the world expecting Minnesota’s offense to take off this season. Turner is an offensive mastermind and has always utilized his tight end exclusively in the passing game, much like he did with Antonio Gates during his time with the San Diego Chargers. Turner has been gushing over the potential of Rudolph and fantasy fans have been listening.
In limited preseason action, Rudolph has been absolutely outstanding. He has hauled in seven passes for 149 yards (21.3 AVG) through the team’s first three preseason contests, including a monster four-catch, 89-yard effort against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2 where the tight end caught a 51-yard TD from rookie QB Teddy Bridgewater. It seems to be a glimpse into Rudolph’s future this season.
Rudolph is primed for a monster season and will likely finish as a top-five TE in most formats. However, that doesn’t mean he is worth reaching for in the third round ahead of Julius Thomas or Rob Gronkowski.Fantasy football fans must allow Rudolph to develop into a sleeper during the draft, because if you reach for him ahead of more established veterans, it will completely ruins his sleeper appeal.
Let Rudolph at least fall past the fourth round before hitting select during your draft this summer.
Adam McGill is the Senior Fantasy Sports Writer at Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @adammcgill83, like him on Facebook, or add him to you networks on Google here or here.
