Who Should I Start? Kyle Rudolph or Noah Fant

Monday, September 4, 11:06 AM

Two-time Pro Bowl tight end Kyle Rudolph announced on Monday that he will officially retire as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. Rudolph makes the decision after playing 12 seasons in the NFL. Originally a second-round pick of the Vikings in 2011 out of Notre Dame, Rudolph played the first 10 seasons of his career in Minnesota before joining the New York Giants in 2021 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year. He'll finish with 482 career receptions on 709 targets for 4,773 yards and 50 touchdowns in 165 games (145 starts). In just nine games (zero starts) for Tampa in 2022, the 33-year-old had three catches for 28 yards and one touchdown. Both of his Pro Bowl campaigns came in Minnesota -- in 2012 and in 2017.

Saturday, November 22, 1:49 PM

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Noah Fant has enjoyed an uptick in production of late. He scored a touchdown in two of his previous four appearances. The 28-year-old is also coming off his second five-catch game of the season. With that said, Mike Gesicki (pectoral) was activated from the Injured Reserve list and is set to make his return for Sunday's matchup with the Patriots. With Ja'Marr Chase sidelined for that one in order to serve a one-game suspension, there will be additional targets up for grabs behind Tee Higgins. Although Gesicki is reportedly in line for a more prominent role in Week 12, it appears Fant has a good thing going with Joe Flacco, meaning the duo may continue to connect. While Gesicki's presence significantly lowers Fants' ceiling, it's hard to imagine he'll go away completely, giving him some upside for desperate, deep-league fantasy managers.