Rams WR Puka Nacua may be the best wide receiver in the NFL right now from a statistical standpoint. But his Achilles heel in his NFL career has always been the inability to stay healthy for a full season, and the injury bug has hit the Rams' top receiver again.
Below, we'll give you the latest Puka Nacua injury update, how long he may be out for, and expectations from the Rams WR depth chart on players that may step up in his place.
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What Happened to Puka Nacua on Sunday?
Midway through the first half of Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, Nacua went down with an ankle injury after attempting to make a contested catch on an end zone target from Matthew Stafford.
Though he returned to the game in the second half, he suffered an ankle sprain that may cause him to miss games.
How Long is Puka Nacua Out For?
The good news is that this does not appear to be an injury that will force the star Rams WR onto short-term Injured Reserve. According to Sean McVay, Nacua is day-to-day and uncertain for next week's game against Jacksonville.
However, with the Rams having their bye week in Week 8, we could assume that Nacua will miss next week’s game and then be out until at least Week 9, giving him two-and-a-half weeks to heal from this ankle sprain.
Hopefully, after the bye, he will be recovered enough to come back and make fantasy football teams whole again.
How Does Puka Nacua Injury Affect the Rams WR Depth Chart?
The Rams will likely face the Jaguars' sixth-ranked pass defense (in EPA/play) without Nacua in London this weekend. Then, after the bye, his status vs. the Saints is in question as well — that is a much softer matchup vs. a Saints defense
If Nacua misses extended time, the Rams’ depth chart after him sees all options move up a spot:
- WR1 - Davante Adams
- WR2 - Tutu Atwell
- WR3 - Jordan Whittington
Atwell was inactive for Sunday’s game against the Ravens due to a hamstring injury, so this assumed depth chart could be fluid. In his absence, Whittington ran the most routes on the Rams, seven more than Adams did, but has played behind Atwell all season, and didn’t do a ton with his routes, garnering just four targets.
Tutu should return to be WR2 behind Adams this week, leaving Whittington as an afterthought.
The Rams also continue to use a rotating group of tight ends, with Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson, and Davis Allen all running a group of routes.
Davante Adams Fantasy Football Outlook
While Adams has seen lesser fantasy football numbers while technically the WR2 to Nacua this season, he has typically been matched up with the opposing team’s top cornerback each week.
With Nacua now sidelined for likely at least one week, that shouldn’t change much for Adams. What could change is his target volume, with Puka’s 11 weekly targets (31.7% target share) disappeared, including his first read targets.
Adams has handled a high target share for his entire career, so he should should be able to post WR1-level fantasy football numbers.
Even with Puka Nacua sidelined, there’s still plenty of NFL action to enjoy in Week 7
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