Several veteran players were likely closely watching the NFL Draft in April to see what their teams would do. For some, it was just a matter of seeing how their team restocked, but for others, it meant big things for their future stock. A team bringing in too many reinforcements could mean the veteran would no longer be heavily involved. Conversely, not enough reinforcements might leave the veteran without enough weapons. For fantasy owners, particularly in dynasty leagues, neither one is a great scenario. You never want to see a player’s stock plummet, but particularly not in the offseason when they haven't done anything.
As we wrap up the last of our draft coverage, below are a few players whose fantasy fortunes might take a tumble because of what happened in the draft:
Kyle Rudolph, TE, Minnesota Vikings
Rudolph's dynasty owners have often been teased by what could be or what could have been. He was the first tight end selected in the 2011 NFL Draft, 43rd overall. Tight ends are notoriously slow developers in the NFL, so Rudolph’s 26-catch, 249-yard rookie campaign didn’t dampen expectations. Rudolph had a mini-breakout in 2012, with 53 catches for 493 yards plus nine touchdowns, finishing as a borderline TE1 and making the Pro Bowl. Unfortunately, injuries cost Rudolph 15 games over the next two seasons, years that could have been his prime, and over the two seasons his 544 yards barely surpassed what he had in the breakout 2012 alone. His touchdown fell off, too, as he found the end zone only five times in the two years playing through multiple lower-body injuries.
DOMINATE FANTASY FOOTBALL & BETTING WITH AI-POWERED DATA & TOOLS TRUSTED BY ALL 32
Already have a subscription? Log In