Should I Start Puka Nacua in Week 2? WR Fantasy Football Ranking Analysis

With Week 1 of the NFL season in the books, fantasy managers have at least a small sample size to work with ahead of Week 2 start/sit decisions for their fantasy squads.

One of the most surprising bright spots of Week 1 was Los Angeles Rams rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua. The fifth-round draft pick out of BYU was extremely impressive in the Rams season-opening victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

Should I start Puka Nacua in Week 2? Find your answer below.

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Puka Nacua Fantasy Outlook

The rookie shined in his NFL debut, toasting the Seattle Seahawks for 119 receiving yards on 10 catches. With superstar Cooper Kupp starting the season in Injured Reserve, Nacua slid into Kupp's vacant role in the Rams passing attack. The little-heralded rookie led the entire NFL in Week 1 targets with 15 against the Seahawks.

Unfortunately, Nacua popped up on L.A.'s injury report this week with an oblique issue. He was able to get in a limited practice on Friday and Rams head coach Seah McVay stated that he fully expects Nacua to suit up in Week 2.

Even if the BYU product is fully healthy, he'll face a brutal matchup against the San Francisco 49ers this week. The Niners boast an elite pass rush that will keep Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford under siege, as well as a rugged group of defenders in the secondary. While this matchup is undoubtedly a difficult one, we can expect Nacua to remain a main cog in the L.A. passing attack.

Puka Nacua Wide Receivers Ranking Analysis

Despite Nacua's monster Week 1 performance, he currently grades out as the WR39 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR Rankings.

This ranking can be attributed to Nacua's difficult Week 2 matchup against the Niners, as well as his lack of proven track record at the NFL level.

Should I Start Puka Nacua in Week 2 Fantasy Football?

Fantasy managers that weren't sharp enough to already have Nacua on their rosters were undoubtedly tempted to go after him on the waiver wire following his Week 1 explosion. The rookie was an expensive FAAB spend and fantasy managers that were able to land him will want to lock him into their Week 2 lineups.

Unfortunately, after paying a hefty price for the Rams "shiny new toy", Nacua's fantasy managers are staring at an uber-tough matchup against the San Francisco 49ers this week.

Despite the less-than-stellar Week 2 matchup, if you made the move to add Nacua to your fantasy team, you are starting him this week. While facing the Niners isn't a dream scenario, Nacua should remain a favorite target for Matt Stafford and is a sensible bet to once again lead the Rams in opportunities. Though we could see some regression from his Week 1 output, the rookie is a solid, volume-driven starter in Full and Half PPR scoring formats.

Every Catch from Puka Nacua's NFL Debut . #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/ulwHROB1pA

— Raskobe (@_KMrzg) September 11, 2023

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