The Los Angeles Rams didn't miss Puka Nacua much in their Week 2 over the New York Giants, with Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams carrying the load all by themselves. But much tougher tests lie ahead, and it's hard to imagine this team getting where it's expected to go without a healthy Puka Nacua.
Unfortunately, we've haven't gotten to see a healthy Nacua much yet this season, as the All-Pro suffered a groin injury in the season opener against San Francisco. The Rams and their fans were hoping that it would be a short-term issue; but as he gets set to miss a second straight week, it's becoming increasingly clear that's not the case.
Is Puka Nacua playing today? What Rams coach Sean McVay said
Nacua is listed as doubtful for Sunday night's game against the Denver Broncos, with ESPN's Adam Schefter essentially confirming on Sunday morning that he would miss Week 3. Earlier in the week, Rams head coach Sean McVay offered a sobering update, telling ESPN Radio Los Angeles that his star wideout is "not making great progress".
At this point, even a Week 4 return would seem to be in some doubt. Schefter tried to spin things positively, leaving next Sunday an open possibility and adding that "functionally, Nacua can play". But he also added that he's not able to do so with his usual explosiveness, and that surgery isn't completely off the table. Functionally or not, if Nacua could play like his usual self, he undoubtedly would be; the fact that he still can't, and that the team doesn't seem to be able to pinpoint exactly what's wrong and how to fix it, is a real concern well beyond Week 3.
Rams depth chart without Puka Nacua
Adams turned back the clock with a vintage performance in Week 3. But he's also 33 years old, with a quarterback pushing 40 (with an injury history of his own). That's hardly the most sustainable formula, no matter the resumes involved and no matter how good McVay is at scheming things up. And beyond those trusted veterans, there simply isn't a ton of proven talent in L.A.'s receiving corps.
Role | Player |
|---|---|
WR1 | Davante Adams |
WR2 | Tutu Atwell |
WR3 | Jordan Whittington |
WR4 | Konata Mumpfield |
WR5 | Xavier Smith |
WR6 | CJ Daniels |
Of course, McVay also deploys a flotilla of tight ends as liberally as anyone in the league. But you need some wideouts, and while guys like Atwell and Whittington are useful complementary players, they're more or less unknowns as starters.
Fantasy football replacements for Puka Nacua
In some fantasy leagues, it's already too late to replace Nacua, as lineups are set and cannot be changed after Sunday afternoon. In most PPR leagues, though, fantasy managers can still bench Nacua in favor of someone else playing in the Sunday night game. All of this is only valid if one of these players is already on your team, or if fantasy managers have an open roster spot. Again, that's a lot of ifs.
Some plausible replacements for Nacua could be Atwell, who is likely to receive more playing time if Puka is out. Another could be Pat Bryant or Troy Franklin of the Broncos, though Denver seems to funnel things exclusively through Jaylen Waddle at this point. If you have room for a flex option instead, then the likes of RJ Harvey or Blake Corum could be useful pickups.
Add us as a preferred source on Google