The immediate impact of Puka Nacua on fantasy football leagues has been among the best stories through two months of this NFL season, but he is currently dealing with a knee injury that has managers worried.
Here’s what we know right now about the Los Angeles Rams‘ rookie star when it comes to his status for Week 9.
Latest Injury Update on Puka Nacua
Knee swelling limited Nacua at Thursday’s practice and is something fantasy managers need to be aware of. There is no actionable information at the moment, as the expectation is for him to play. But it’s worth noting that the Rams go on their bye next week.
Will Nacua Play This Week?
All signs currently point to Nacua being active for this game against the Green Bay Packers. There has been general optimism coming out of Los Angeles regarding the rookie’s status, leading us to believe that they are simply taking a cautious approach with a player who has already seen 89 targets this season.
Editor’s note: Nacua is listed as questionable going into the Week 9 matchup against the Packers with his knee injury.
What Does This Mean For Nacua’s Fantasy Ranking?
The limitation is less than ideal any week, but with QB Matthew Stafford (thumb) trending in the wrong direction for this game, it could be a problem.
Should Stafford sit, that would put Brett Rypien in charge of leading this offense against the Packers and their 36% blitz rate (fifth highest). In limited usage over four seasons, Rypien is averaging 5.9 yards per pass attempt and has twice as many interceptions as touchdowns. Say what you will about an aging Stafford, but if he sits, Nacua’s floor lowers tremendously.
MORE: Fantasy News Tracker
Fantasy managers have been on a rollercoaster ride with Nacua even since Cooper Kupp returned to action:
- Week 5: Half-PPR WR11 for the week
- Week 6: Half-PPR WR61 for the week
- Week 7: Half-PPR WR5 for the week
- Week 8: Half-PPR WR65 for the week
While production has been spotty, I’d still have him as a top-15 play if he enters Sunday sans an injury tag and with Stafford under center. If we are to assume that the former could happen but the latter won’t, Nacua falls outside of my WR2 tier. That would put him alongside receivers like Garrett Wilson, Jakobi Meyers, and Amari Cooper — all of whom are dealing with quarterback issues as well.
If your team is in good shape for the playoffs, could this be a time to acquire Nacua from a desperate manager? His stock is fading a bit due to the recent ups and downs and the injury to Stafford, not to mention the upcoming bye. If Nacua is on the roster of a fantasy team that needs to win now, it makes sense to lob out a low-ball offer to see if they bite!
Puka Nacua has had a dominant start to his NFL career! Is that level of production here to stay though?
I break down his Dynasty stock here in my latest article at PFN⤵️⤵️https://t.co/j5dKXn59OJ
— Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL) November 1, 2023
For more on this matchup and every other game on the schedule this week, check out the Week 9 Cheat Sheet — every player on your roster (and then some!) is discussed.
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