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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (knee) and his coaching staff have massively frustrated fantasy managers this season. After supposedly being fine after suffering a training camp injury by banging his knee on the ground, Nacua was placed on injured reserve after injuring his PCL by banging his knee off the ground again in Week 1.
He had his practice window opened and played in the same week (Week 8), which was also unusual. Then, in practice this week, he injured the same knee again by... banging it on the ground. But we're supposed to believe it's no big deal. Rams coach Sean McVay indicated he expected the star second-year pro to play this week.
But now we're hearing that he just "hopes to play." Hopefully, as fantasy managers, you have a BS meter that's registering off the charts by now. Owning No. 17 should be a bumpy ride. So is he hurt or playing in Week 9?
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Is Puka Nacua Injured or Playing in Week 9?
He "hopes to play" when the Los Angeles Rams take on the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. That's not very reassuring, but it might be the best we get until the final list of active players is released. Even if he does play, it's incredibly alarming that he's now injured the knee in the same way three times.
Puka Nacua - Concern = potential re-injury of knee, since those are often worse than original.
Reports suggest low concern from team. Fri practice status will be key. If LP, data favors playing Wk 9#Rams
— Deepak Chona, MD. SportsMedAnalytics (@SportMDAnalysis) November 1, 2024
If it happened three times, it could easily happen again. Coaches can sometimes be very misleading about their players. McVay insisted there was no structural damage to Nacua's knee, but that doesn't mean his injury couldn't be re-aggravated again.
The manner of the injury is great cause for concern. The main job of defenders is to tackle offensive players who have the ball. This means the offensive player's body will hit the ground, obviously. If Nacua can keep reinjuring his knee by simply hitting it on the ground, it's hard to imagine it will be fine for the rest of the season.
Puka Nacua Fantasy Football Injury Outlook
Even though he played on a snap count last week, he still racked up 18.1 PPR fantasy points by racking up seven catches and 106 receiving yards on seven targets. Last season made it clear that he's an elite receiver. There aren't any concerns with his ability to be a stud, but the knee could continue to be a problem.
In a limited role, Puka Nacua was the Rams' featured offensive weapon last night. Easy to imagine him getting even more touches and production the more his snap share increases.
Moving forward, do you view Puka as the Rams' WR1? pic.twitter.com/23KONpQVnC
— Fantasy Football Astronauts (@FF_Astronauts) October 25, 2024
When he plays, he should be started, but sadly, he could see his overall production limited by this injury for the entire season. If six weeks of rest isn't enough to put the ailment behind him and prevent a re-aggravation, then it's fair to question whether he'll need surgery to correct it. It's also fair to speculate that he may need an entire offseason to correct the issue.
There aren't any good replacements for his production on the team. Your best bet is rookie Jordan Whittington (shoulder) when he's healthy. He was knocked out of his Week 7 contest and didn't play in Week 8 due to a shoulder issue. He's designated as "Questionable" for Week 9.
Yards per Route Run vs First Downs per Route Run
*Rookie WRs only*🔹Min. 90 Routes Run
Notables:
- In another universe without Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, Jordan Whittington could be so much fun with Sean McVay 🆒- The Ladd McConkey wave continues to build 🌊
- In the event… pic.twitter.com/l0GpYOW1AR
— Dan Whisner (Wiz) 🚫 (@DanJWhisner) October 29, 2024
"Whit" was a preseason star and was earning a solid role in the offense before his injury. When he's back, he'll likely slot easily into a WR2 role if either Nacua or Cooper Kupp can't play. Fantasy managers who have either of LA's top-2 wideouts on their roster should seriously consider adding the rookie as well as a handcuff of sorts.
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