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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua set the rookie records for receptions and receiving yards, and there was a lot of excitement about his prospects going into this season.
The Rams have a young team with many stars on the rise. They are set to open the season against another young team with a dynamic offense, the Detroit Lions, in a hotly anticipated playoff rematch.
But could an injury suffered during training camp keep Nacua off the field? Will Puka Nacua play in Week 1, or should you have alternative plans ready for your fantasy team? Let's jump in.
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Puka Nacua Injury Update for Fantasy Football
Nacua suffered an injury in a joint practice against the Los Angeles Chargers on August 4. He landed badly on his knee.
Rams coach Sean McVay says that he has bursitis, which is when a bursa, a fluid-filled sac in the knee, becomes inflamed and makes it difficult to move the leg.
Nacua's injury was described as "week to week." He is still traveling with the team, but he is not practicing. He was photographed on the practice field in street clothes walking with another Rams official.
Will Puka Nacua Play in Week 1?
8/29 UPDATE: Nacua practiced in full on Thursday, August 29. This suggests he's well on track to play in Week 1 against the Detroit Lions.
Puka Nacua's injury is said to be "nothing serious, nothing structural," and coach Sean McVay says he's not in danger of missing any time in the regular season.
"He'll be in good shape and he'll recover and we'll be ready to go. No threat of anything for Detroit," McVay said.
Another question for fantasy managers is whether Nacua will be limited if he plays. If there's any lingering discomfort or difficulty moving, he might not be able to cut or break away as well as he does at full health.
We may be able to get some indication of whether his injury is serious based on how quickly he returns to practice and whether he is listed as limited in the Week 1 practice reports.
Puka Nacua 2024 Fantasy Outlook
Puka Nacua caught 105 passes for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie. He added 89 yards on the ground on 12 rushing attempts. He finished in the top ten overall for receptions, receiving yards, all-purpose yards, and longest reception.
After going in the late rounds of 2023 fantasy drafts, Nacua finished as the WR5 in standard scoring and the WR4 in PPR. Nacua excelled at getting yards after the catch. He gained 627 yards after the catch, the fifth-most in the league, and he averaged 6.0 yards after the catch, the fourth-most for any player with over 90 targets.
Nacua had some of his best games when his teammate Cooper Kupp missed time with injuries. He will have more target competition when Kupp is injured, but Nacua still outperformed Kupp when both were on the field.
With Kupp getting further from his prime and Nacua getting closer to the age a receiver hits their prime, Nacua looks like the Rams' WR1.
In the five games Kupp missed, Nacua averaged 8.6 receptions and 108.4 yards per game. With Kupp lined up alongside him, Nacua averaged 5.2 catches and 78.7 yards per game.
Averaging 15.7 points per game while competing with Kupp for looks, Nacua would still have finished as the No. 15 WR in terms of average.
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