The Los Angeles Rams have had some truly miserable health luck to start this season, and it appears the injury bug has once again struck star wideout Puka Nacua going into Week 7. Nacua had been one of the team's only bright spots since returning to the lineup three weeks ago, but he injured his calf during practice this week and now carries a questionable designation for L.A.'s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Rams are already without Davante Adams in the receiving room and now they could potentially be without Nacua too. Here’s the latest on Nacua and whether Los Angeles expects him to play on Sunday.
Is Puka Nacua playing vs. the Raiders? Why the Rams are optimistic
According to Adam Schefter, the Rams are "optimistic" that Nacua will be ready to play Sunday barring any last-minute setbacks. This is big news for an offense that can afford anymore losses; the Rams have been struggling this year and are already down Adams. It will be interesting to see how this offense looks and how much of a load Nacua can shoulder as the lone wideout left standing.
Rams are optimistic that WR Puka Nacua, who is questionable for Sunday’s game due to a calf injury, will play vs. the Raiders. Nacua was feeling better Saturday and, as one source said, “as long as there aren’t any setbacks, we feel good about him being available to play.” pic.twitter.com/mI22MZNcCj
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 25, 2026
With Nacua likely to play, the question becomes what happens with the rest of this offense? After all, they’ve been underperforming this season. The loss to Arizona last weekend was humbling, and now there's little margin for error left if the team hopes to mount a playoff push. With four losses, the Rams have a lot to figure out, and with Nacua back to being the No. 1 target, they need to keep him available the rest of the season.
Rams WR depth chart with Puka Nacua slated to start
DEPTH CHART POSITION | PLAYER | SEASON RECEIVING YARDS |
|---|---|---|
WR1 | Puka Nacua | 417 |
WR2 | Konata Mumpfield | 127 |
WR3 | Jordan Whittington | 12 |
WR4 | Tutu Atwell | 31 |
WR5 | CJ Daniels | 0 |
WR6 | Alex Bachman | 0 |
Being down both Nacua and Adams would have left the Rams very thin at receiver. They have some options, but they're more role players than pillars of a passing game. Konata Mumpfield is the only receiver aside from Nacua and Adams with at least 100 receiving yards this season, and no other wideout has more than 31 receiving yards through the first six games. That also means the pressure ramps up on the Rams' bevy of tight ends to step up.
Tyler Higbee has been the other top receiver on this team with 246 receiving yards to date. Kyren Williams has been a weapon out of the backfield as well. How good the Rams will be in Adams’ absence will come down to how much the tight ends elevate the pass game and how much Matthew Stafford can involve other weapons.
Fantasy football replacements for Puka Nacua
If the Rams believe Nacua will be ready, then I’d start him. That said, you will need some insurance in the event he either gets re-injured or isn’t quite as explosive as usual. That’s why I’d turn to Higbee if he’s available in your league; he’ll garner a lot of attention in this offense with Adams down anyway. Colby Parkinson and Terrence Ferguson are two other options to keep in mind as well. If you want to look outside the Rams, Jalen Coker could be a player to watch out of Carolina as a solid short-term option that could still provide some production for you.
For now, all signs are pointing to Nacua being active and for him to be the new No. 1 option while Adams recovers from his hamstring injury.
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