Vikings Beat: TE Kyle Rudolph is a 'special talent' and a 'matchup nightmare'

Jun 01, 2015

Vikings writer Mike Wobschall...

Over the course of the three days, I was impressed with TE Kyle Rudolph. It’s almost daily that he makes a handful of catches that make it obvious he is a special talent, whether it’s posting a LB up over the middle or outrunning a safety on a corner route to haul in long receptions. Rudy is a matchup nightmare for defenses and having him healthy is a big deal for the offense. The last time the Vikings had Rudolph for 16 games, they went to the playoffs and he won MVP honors in the Pro Bowl.

Fantasy Impact:

It has been a frustrating two years for Rudolph and his owners, as he’s missed 15 of a possible 32 games in that span. But he saw 17 targets in three games last season before going down with a sports hernia. Over the past three seasons, Rudolph has averaged 5.2 targets per game, which is about what Owen Daniels averaged in 2014. There’s some upside in OC Norv Turner’s TE-friendly offense if he can stay healthy. Granted, that’s a big “if.”

yesterday

Update on Gardner Minshew: Broken collarbone, out for season

Ian Rapoport

yesterday · 7:57 PM EST

A quick update on Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew: he suffered a broken collarbone against the Broncos and is out for the season.

Fantasy Impact:

We had just posted the quote from head coach Antonio Pierce, saying it didn’t look good. It turned out it wasn’t good. Minshew looked like he was in a lot of pain after taking the his late in the game. Now we have an understanding of that pain. Desmond Ridder came on in relief and the team is expected to activate Aidan O’Connell this week from injured reserve. The Raiders visit Kansas City on Friday.

Antonio Pierce on Gardner Minshew injury: ‘It doesn’t look good.’

Adam Schefter

yesterday · 7:53 PM EST

Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said “It doesn’t look good” in regards to the shoulder injury to quarterback Gardner Minshew.

Fantasy Impact:

Minshew went down late in the game against the Broncos after taking a sack and looked to be in quite a bit of pain. He’ll undergo further testing to determine the severity of the injury.

Desmond Ridder came on in replacement. He went 5-of-10 for 64 yards and was sacked twice. If Minshew is to miss time, which looks very likely, the Raiders may look to see what they have in the former Falcons quarterback. Vegas is also expected to have Aidan O’Connell back this week. The Raiders are on a short week as they head to Kansas City on Black Friday.

Romeo Doubs ruled out with concussion

Green Bay Packers

yesterday · 6:48 PM EST

Packers WR Romeo Doubs was ruled out of Sunday’s game against the 49ers with a concussion.

Fantasy Impact:

Doubs suffered the injury while attempting a catch in the end zone and landing hard on the back of his helmet. Doubs will not return tonight and it’s almost certain he’ll be ruled out for Thursday night against the Dolphins. If that’s the case, his next chance to return would be the following Thursday against the Lions.