Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is not your prototypical irrelevant Day 3 player. Given his landing spot and the Rams’ lack of WR depth behind Cooper Kupp, there’s a plausible path for the fifth-round rookie to make an immediate impact. What is Nacua’s fantasy football outlook for the 2023 season?
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Puka Nacua’s Fantasy Outlook
The theory behind Nacua being a sneaky late-round sleeper has a lot to do with his situation. Athletically, outside of average speed, he’s pretty poor everywhere else. Nacua is also 23 years old and wasn’t overly productive at BYU.
The main appeal with Nacua is he kind of has that Robert Woods-like skill set. It’s something the Rams have missed since parting ways with the receiver. Nacua carried the ball 39 times in his final two collegiate seasons and is also an effective blocker. Both of those things could get him on the field earlier than you’d expect for a fifth-round rookie.
Most important for the potential for Nacua to have early success is the Rams’ WR depth chart. Obviously, Kupp is a top-five NFL receiver and going to dominate targets. But Matthew Stafford still has to throw passes to other guys.
Behind Kupp, the Rams have Van Jefferson, Ben Skowronek, Demarcus Robinson, and Tutu Atwell. There’s a very real chance Nacua opens the season sixth on the depth chart and never sees the field. On the other hand, do any of these names really strike you as challenging for Nacua to jump, assuming he is talented?
Should Fantasy Managers Draft Nacua at His ADP?
Nacua currently has a WR78 ADP. So, he’s not being drafted in most leagues. I don’t have him ranked in my top 100, but anything after about 72 is pretty much the same. Throw your darts at whoever you want.
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I’m not here to say Nacua is some sort of league-winner. He won’t be. But there’s certainly a nonzero chance he’s Los Angeles’ WR3 by midseason. Don’t draft Nacua, but certainly keep an eye on him early in the season. If you see signs of increased playing time, he’s probably worth a speculative waiver wire pickup, just in case.