Rams are ‘confident’ Puka Nacua (calf) will play

Nacua, with Davante Adams (hamstring) sidelined, again dominated targets in the newly run-heavy LA offense. No other Rams pass catcher saw more than four targets on the day. Nacua’s touchdown came on a well-designed screen in the second half at the end of a long drive for the run-first Rams offense. Nacua, who had 41 targets over his prior four games, is among the safest players in fantasy football. He matches up against the Commanders in Week 9.

Nacua, dealing with a calf injury, didn’t appear to be 100 percent but still got by just fine against a beatable Vegas secondary. He caught one of Matthew Stafford’s three touchdowns and led the Rams offense with ten targets. Nacua has a good chance of leading the NFL in targets for the remainder of the season with Davante Adams (hamstring) out indefinitely. His role in the LA offense makes Nacua one of the most dangerous fantasy options in the game. He gets the Chargers secondary in Week 8.

Start him. The Rams clearly feel comfortable with their superstar playing today, and we should too. Nacua’s upside is too high for him to remain on fantasy football benches. Reporting on Nacua’s ailment suggests he is not necessarily dealing with a strain. It can perhaps be best described as muscle fatigue, though we are doctors here at Rotoworld. Re-injury is possible, but we can safely expect him to handle a large workload whenever he is on the field. Nacua is a high-end WR1.

The fact that Nacua is not practicing today is a bad sign for his Week 7 availability. Ever the injury-related optimist, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported earlier today that Nacua’s injury is “more minor than anything else,” though he quickly balanced the scales by then saying that he would not call Nacua’s quick trip to the imaging room “precautionary, because it’s not nothing.” If active, Nacua should be in fantasy football lineups because his talent and workload are almost unparalleled. Unfortunately, coach Sean McVay told reporters that Nacua felt that “he wasn’t able to have some of the power and full explosion.” Nacua is on the wrong side of questionable, and the Rams obviously do not want his injury to worsen.

As far as Nacua’s long-term status goes, this sounds like good news overall. However, Rapoport also noted that Nacua’s status for Sunday’s game against the Raiders could be “up in the air.” With Friday’s practice still to go, Nacua’s status will be one to look for later in the day, as will his designation entering the weekend. If he draws a questionable tag, fantasy managers should treat him as a true game-day decision and have a backup plan in place should be unable to play this week. Given the 4:25 PM EST start time for this game, Rams WR Konata Mumpfield could be on a short list of players worth stashing until we know more about Nacua’s availability.

Brutal. The Rams lost Davante Adams to a hamstring tendon rupture in Week 6 against the Cardinals, and now they could be without Nacua in Week 7 against the Raiders. The Rams have handled star-player injuries smartly this season. Consider Nacua highly questionable to play, and seek out a backup plan. Konata Mumpfield would serve as the de facto No. 1 wide receiver if Nacua is unable to play.

The Cardinals’ pass rush derailed the Rams’ offensive game plan early on, and Nacua was held without a target until just under 11 minutes remaining in the second quarter. Heartbreak struck on the Rams’ sixth drive. Nacua shook his coverage defender on a hitch-and-go and had no one between him and the end zone. Matthew Stafford let it rip, but was hit during the throw. Nacua dove for what should have been a 65-yard touchdown, but the pass fell incomplete. Nacua had another close call late in the game, dragging a defender for half of his downfield route, on what was ultimately flagged for DPI, but the defender’s unscrupulous tactic prevented Nacua from hauling in a 45-yarder at the Cardinals’ 10-yard line. Fortunately, Nacua and Stafford linked up for 42- and 16-yard gains on their lone touchdown-scoring drive at the end of the game, salvaging Nacua’s box score. He’s an elite WR1 against the Raiders next week.

Nacua operated as the primary option through the air for a Rams team that attempted more than 50 passes for the third straight game. The veteran alpha was mostly confined to short-area work, something that could be attributed to the groin injury that continues to have his name on the injury report in practice, but that would not keep Nacua from returning another elite WR1 performance. Nacua was also inches away from padding his stat line further after failing to come down with what would have been a 51-yard touchdown reception on the final play of the first half. Nacua and the Rams fall to 2-3 ahead of a Week 6 divisional showdown against the Cardinals, where he will remain one of the top fantasy assets in the league.

Nacua’s rushing score came on a second quarter end-around. Out there for the first time since Week 1, Nacua did what he always seems to do when active and post a dominant statline. We say “active” rather than “healthy,” as FOX’s Erin Andrews confirmed during the broadcast Nacua is dealing with some sort of sports-hernia situation. That could make him something of a week-to-week proposition but hopefully the superstar wideout has found some way to manage the pain for the rest of the season. He has a Week 5 smash spot in the Bills’ shootout-prone defense. He will also have an extra day to get healthy with the game taking place on Monday Night Football.

Andrews broke the news while reporting from the sideline of the Rams’ Week 4 game against the Eagles. Signs have been pointing to this type of injury for a while now, with the Rams referring to Nacua’s nagging injury as both a hip and groin issue. Just over two minutes remain in the third quarter, and Nacua has only come off the field for a few plays thus far. It appears as though the team has handled the injury well, though one imagines re-injury risk is still a factor. That said, he is a WR1 whenever he is active.