The keys to Nacua's breakout last year were his outstanding route running, his timing with Matthew Stafford and his penchant for taking advantage of both Cooper Kupp's absences and Kupp's ability to draw double coverage. Understandably, Nacua's numbers were better without Kupp (13.0 targets and 23.8 PPR points per game in Weeks 1 through 4) than with Kupp (8.5 targets and 15.7 PPR points per game from Week 5 on). That should set a realistic expectation on what to count on from Nacua in his second season, which frankly is still quite excellent considering the lack of elite-tier receivers in Fantasy. It helps that the Rams offense might be even better this year considering their O-line enhancements and Stafford entering the season healthy. Not only should Nacua get picked well before Kupp, but he's in the conversation as a late-Round 1 pick in PPR redraft leagues; he's more of a Round 2 pick in half- and non-PPR.
Nacua is scheduled to undergo testing Monday after exited Sunday's 26-20 overtime loss to the Lions with a right knee injury, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Nacua caught four passes for 35 yards and carried once for seven yards before he was pulled from the game after he appeared to land hard on his knee following a reception. After getting evaluated on the sideline, Nacua checked back in for a few plays but eventually headed back to the bench and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest. Nacua's upcoming tests should shed more light on the nature of his injury, but it's worth noting that the right knee is the same one that bothered him in training camp and the preseason, when he was held out of practices for much of August due to what head coach Sean McVay labeled as a bursa sac issue. The Rams are back in action Sunday in Arizona, and a potential Nacua absence for that game or any contests beyond that would allow Cooper Kupp to operate as the clear No. 1 wideout while perhaps opening up extra targets for receiver Demarcus Robinson and tight end Colby Parkinson.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Won't return against Lions
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Nacua (knee) has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the Lions.
Nacua briefly came back into the game after being ruled questionable to return in the first half, but he promptly exited again and needed a cart to get to the locker room at halftime. Having been ruled out for the second half of the season opener, Nacua's next chance to take the field will be next Sunday in Arizona.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Questionable to return due to knee
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Nacua (knee) is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Lions.
Nacua got hurt in the first half after catching all four of his targets for 35 yards and adding a seven-yard rush. It's unclear if this knee injury is related to the bursa sac issue in his knee that bothered Nacua throughout August but didn't affect his preparation during the week leading up to Sunday's regular-season opener. Per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Nacua came back in for a play after the initial questionable designation but then limped to the sideline.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Back at practice to start week
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Nacua (knee) returned to practice Monday, Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register reports.
Nacua may not be a full participant immediately, but he'll now have almost two full weeks to gear up before a Sept. 8 season opener at Detroit. Monday marks his first practice appearance since Aug. 4, when he suffered a bursa sac injury in his knee. Coach Sean McVay said Aug. 6 that he wasn't worried about Nacua's availability for Week 1.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Exits practice Sunday
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Nacua exited Sunday's joint practice with the Chargers with a potential knee issue, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.
Nacua watched the remainder of Sunday's session from the sideline with his knee wrapped in ice. After practice, coach Sean McVay said he's "not sure" what happened and offered no further update on the Rams' star wideout. Los Angeles has been ravaged by injuries early on this summer, losing would-be starting cornerback Derion Kendrick to a season-ending torn ACL during the first practice of camp before then seeing LT Alaric Jackson (ankle), LG Jonah Jackson (scapula) and RT Rob Havenstein (foot) all getting hurt in the last week. There will hopefully be an update on Nacua in the coming days.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Aims to make Year 2 leap
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Rams wide receiver coach Eric Yarber said Nacua's "body is totally different" due to his training regiment this offseason, Nick Shook of NFL.com reports.
Nacua is coming off a stellar rookie campaign in which he racked up a 105-1,486-6 receiving line while suiting up for all 17 regular-season games, and he's putting in the offseason work to improve rather than resting on his laurels. Yarber said "[Nucua has] lost so much body fat and gained so much lean muscle, which enabled him to move more efficiently now," and that "he has better body control" entering Year 2. Nucua has reportedly dropped about 10 pounds over the offseason and shadowed Cooper Kupp, his positional mate and former Offensive Player of the Year, both in terms of training regimen and diet. Kupp was plagued by injuries even while on the field last season and should stands to demand a larger offensive share during the 2024 campaign, but Nucua looks to have already emerged as the new No. 1 wide receiver for Los Angeles. Coach Sean McVay's offense could be efficient enough for both wideouts to improve upon their production.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Posts 181 rec yards in playoff loss
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Nacua caught nine of 10 targets for 181 yards and a touchdown while rushing once for minus-2 yards in Sunday's 24-23 wild-card round loss to the Lions.
Nacua delivered a stellar performance in his playoff debut after a record-setting rookie season, highlighted by a 50-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. The game's pivotal play was an incomplete pass to Nacua, though, as a Detroit defender grabbed his jersey on a third-down target from Matthew Stafford in the final minutes. A penalty would have set the Rams up in field-goal range, but the missed call led to a punt, and Detroit proceeded to run out the final 4:07, putting an end to Nacua's magical rookie season. After racking up 105 catches, 1,486 receiving yards and six touchdowns in the regular season, Nacua has gone from an unheralded fifth-round NFL Draft pick in 2023 to one of the league's most coveted targets in fantasy drafts heading into the 2024 season.
Nacua corralled all four of his targets for 41 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 21-20 win over the 49ers.
Nacua wasn't expected to do much from a fantasy perspective Sunday after the Rams announced that they would be removing the breakout star from the contest once he gained 29 yards to set the new rookie all-time record for receiving yards in a single season. The BYU product came one yard shy of Bill Groman's previous mark of 1,473 yards set in 1960 when he caught a 19-yard touchdown to cap off Los Angeles' opening drive Sunday. Nacua didn't see another target until the start of the third quarter, when he notched a pair of short receptions to clinch two NFL rookie records by also passing Jaylen Waddle's 104 receptions set in 2021. Nacua's final rookie line of 105/1,486/6 is more than the Rams could have hoped for from a fifth-round selection. The 23-year-old can continue shattering expectations for the Rams in the upcoming wild-card round of the playoffs.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Will exit after notching record
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The Rams plan to remove Nacua from Sunday's game against the 49ers once he records 29 receiving yards, which would allow him to break the single-season rookie receiving record of 1,473 yards, Jay Glazer reported on "Fox NFL Sunday."
Los Angeles is already locked into a road game for the wild-card round of the playoffs and will prioritize resting several of its starters in Week 18 -- including quarterback Matthew Stafford -- with an eye on maintaining health heading into the postseason. Nacua will be an exception to that plan, as the Rams plan to give him the opportunity to try and secure the record set by Bill Groman of the Houston Oilers in 1960. Look for fill-in starting quarterback Carson Wentz to try and funnel targets to Nacua early and often in Sunday's game, but the 23-year-old is expected to be removed from the contest as soon as he sets the record. With that in mind, Nacua won't have much of a ceiling for receiving yardage Sunday and doesn't represent an appealing option in DFS contests.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Just 28 yards from rookie record
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Nacua (hip) caught five of eight targets for 118 yards and rushed twice for 19 yards in Sunday's 26-25 win over the Giants.
Most of Nacua's game-high receiving yardage total came on an 80-yard catch in the third quarter, which set up a two-yard Kyren Williams rushing touchdown on the next play. Williams scored three touchdowns and Cooper Kupp caught one, while Nacua remained stuck on five touchdowns. Nacua's up to 101 catches for 1,445 yards, leaving him just 28 receiving yards shy of Bill Groman's rookie record of 1,473 heading into the Week 18 season finale in San Francisco.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Suiting up Sunday
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Nacua (hip) is active for Sunday's game at the Giants, Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Nacua missed Friday's practice and was deemed questionable by the Rams, but ahead of Sunday's contest coach Sean McVay told Klein that he expected the wide receiver to play through his hip issue. With Nacua's active status confirmed, look for the 2023 fifth-rounder to maintain his key role in the Rams offense Week 17. Through 15 games to date, Nacua has racked up a team-high 96 catches (on 146 targets) for 1,327 yards and five TDs.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Should play through hip injury
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Nacua will miss Friday's practice with a hip injury and will be listed as questionable for Sunday's game at the Giants, but head coach Sean McVay said the wide receiver is still expected to play, Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports that Nacua is dealing with tightness in his hip, something he'll attempt to play through with Los Angeles battling for a wild-card spot. The rookie sensation has been listed with shoulder, knee, rib and oblique injuries this season, but ultimately he's taken on at least 40 snaps and seven targets in each of the Rams' 15 games to date. He needs 147 receiving yards over the final two weeks to break Bill Groman's all-time rookie record (1,473 in 1960), while 129 yards would give Nacua the post-merger record set by Ja'Marr Chase (1,455) two seasons ago.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Held to 50 yards
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Nacua recorded five receptions on eight targets for 50 yards in Sunday's 28-20 win over the Commanders. He added two rushes for three yards.
Nacua matched Cooper Kupp for the team lead in targets, though his inconsistent production of late continued. His longest catch of the day went for 18 yards, but three of his five receptions went for single-digit yard gains. Overall, Nacua has 50 or fewer yards in four of his last seven games, though he's reached at least 70 yards in his three other contests in that span.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Full practice Thursday
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Nacua (shoulder) practiced in full Thursday, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.
Nacua opened Week 14 prep with a capped walkthrough due to the AC joint sprain that he suffered in his right shoulder this past Sunday versus the Browns. One day later, though, he was able to manage every practice rep, paving the way for him to suit up Sunday at Baltimore. Despite already boasting 1,029 receiving yards in 12 games to begin his career, the rookie fifth-round pick will be facing a tough task against a Ravens defense that has given up just 5.7 yards per target (first in the NFL) to opposing wide receivers this season.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Big day in Week 13 win
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Nacua caught four of seven targets for 105 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 36-19 win over the Browns.
The rookie wideout hauled in the first of three Matthew Stafford TDs on the afternoon, turning a slant route over the middle into a 70-yard score in the first quarter. It's Nacua's fifth 100-yard performance of the season but his first since Week 7, while the touchdown was his fourth. While Sunday's performance was encouraging and the Rams' passing game has some juicy matchups down the stretch, Nacua could have trouble maintaining his momentum in Week 14 against the Ravens.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Dealing with rib issue
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Nacua departed Sunday's contest against the Browns due to a rib injury.
Nacua exited twice in the second quarter, first due to cramps and then with an apparent shoulder injury. However, the Rams are calling it a rib issue, leaving him questionable to return. At the time he left the game, Nacua had four catches (on six targets) for 105 yards and one touchdown. Cooper Kupp should have plenty of volume come his way from quarterback Matthew Stafford moving forward, with Tutu Atwell, Demarcus Robinson, Ben Skowronek and Austin Trammell also on hand for WR reps.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Injures shoulder Sunday
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Nacua went to the locker room favoring his right shoulder during Sunday's game versus the Browns, Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register reports.
Nacua initially was questionable to return in the middle of the second quarter due to cramps, but he was able to return, only to endure a hard landing on a leaping 20-yard grab. He stayed on the turf for some time before making his way to the sideline slowly with Rams trainers. If he's unable to return, Nacua will finish Week 13 with four catches (on six targets) for 105 yards and one touchdown on the strength of a 70-yard TD.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Dealing with cramps
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Nacua exited Sunday's game against the Browns due to cramps, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.
At the time Nacua left in the second quarter, he had a 70-yard touchdown among his three catches for 85 yards. As long as he's sidelined, the Rams' available wide receivers will be Cooper Kupp, Tutu Atwell, Demarcus Robinson, Ben Skowronek and Austin Trammell.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Limited Wednesday
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Rams head coach Sean McVay said Nacua (shoulder) will be a limited participant at Wednesday's practice, Greg Beacham of the Associated Press reports.
During a media session Monday, McVay revealed that Nacua was tending to a shoulder injury after Sunday's win versus the Seahawks, and the issue is now affecting his on-field work during Week 12 prep. Nacua at least is practicing, though, which can't be said for Cooper Kupp, who is working his way back from the low-ankle sprain he suffered Week 11. With the health of the Rams' top two pass catchers up in the air, the situation bears watching to see if one or both may miss Sunday's game at Arizona.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Finishes as team's top wideout
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Nacua (knee) corralled five of seven targets for 70 yards and a touchdown while adding seven yards on his lone rushing attempt in Sunday's 17-16 win over the Seahawks.
Nacua finished as the Rams' top receiver after star wideout Cooper Kupp (ankle) left Sunday's contest in the first half with an ankle injury. The rookie standout was then asked to step up in place of his injured teammate for the second time this season, which he accomplished via a touchdown grab towards the end of the first half that helped lead the Rams to victory. At the time of this update, the Rams have not released any additional information on the severity of Kupp's injury, or whether it could affect his status for next Sunday's tilt against the Cardinals, according to ESPN's Sarah Barshop. Nacua would likely see an increase in both his targets and point projections should Kupp sit out against Arizona. The BYU product averaged 9.8 receptions, 13.0 targets and 125.3 receiving yards in four games without Kupp to begin the year.
