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Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph had his best game of the season last week. He was targeted eight times, catching seven passes for 68 yards. This happened in large part because the Vikings were without tight end Irv Smith, who sat out with a back injury. It looks like Smith is in danger of missing this week’s game against the Jaguars, which gives Rudolph another week of fantasy relevance.
Fantasy Football analysis: Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph
The Vikings time share at tight end usually doesn’t leave much work for either one. But Rudolph had a big role in the game plan last week without having to share looks. We saw similar results in Week 10, when Smith was also out of action. In that game, Rudolph caught four passes on five targets for 64 yards. Unfortunately, he hasn’t scored since Week 3, but there’s a slight chance that could change against the Jaguars, who have allowed opposing tight ends to score nine times this season, including one in each of their last two games.
With Smith out, Rudolph is definitely worth a start this week.
Fantasy Start/Sit Recommendation
Start Kyle Rudolph.