Kyle Rudolph

As mentioned last week, if Thielen is out of the lineup, Rudolph benefits greatly. It seems likely that Thielen returns this week, but if he doesn't, light up your Rudolph shares. He's now seen at least five targets in each of his last four games and five of his last six. The last time these two teams met, Thielen had to leave early and it was the first time all year Rudolph was fantasy relevant, hauling in 5-of-6 targets for 58 yards and a touchdown. The Lions are kind of the opposite of the Vikings, as they rank as a middle-of-the-pack team against tight ends, but when targeted, they do damage, as indicated by the 8.99 yards per target (4th-highest) and 2.05 PPR points per target (2nd-highest). They've now allowed a touchdown and/or 52-plus yards to nine different tight ends this year. That should give Rudolph a decent floor in this game, though Thielen would swing things quite a bit. If Thielen plays, Rudolph is a middling TE2 who'd be touchdown dependent. If Thielen sits, Rudolph would be a low-end TE1.

Kyle Rudolph scores for fourth straight game

Kyle Rudolph brought in four of five targets for 50 yards and a TD in the Vikings’ 37-30 loss to the Seahawks on Monday.

Fantasy Impact

Rudy scored for the fourth straight game and sixth time in his last six games after failing to reach the end zone through the Vikings' first six games of the season. His emergence as a consistent threat in the passing game with touchdown upside has planted him firmly on the TE1 map, and he should be considered that for Week 14's matchup with Detroit.