Los Angeles

Rams

McVay said he’s “hopeful” Nacua, who missed Monday night’s game against the Giants, will be able to suit up against Denver next week. The Rams offense was fine without Nacua on Monday against an injury-ravaged Giants team. LA had the week’s fourth highest EPA per play on the way to a 28-6 win. Another game with Nacua sidelined will mean more target domination for Davante Adams and more involvement for Terrance Ferguson, who caught 6-of-9 targets for 54 yards and a touchdown against New York.

Ferguson entered the fourth quarter with a rather modest receiving line, with two of the incompletions directed towards him resultant of passes that hit him in the hands, with the third a poorly thrown pass from Stafford. He heated up in the final frame, highlighted by a five-yard touchdown reception on a crosser from the slot for his first touchdown of his sophomore campaign. Ferguson’s nine targets were one off the 10 of Davante Adams for the team lead in a game played without top aerial option Puka Nacua. Ferguson appears likely to have more spiked weeks like this in the future, although they could be more difficult to diagnose once Nacua returns and the offense doesn’t play quite as much from 12- and 13-personnel. Ferguson can safely be started as a viable tight end option in Week 3 against the Broncos, particularly considering the multitude of injuries at the position throughout the league.

Adams seamlessly stepped into the alpha role in the offense in the absence of Puka Nacua, routinely making absurd catches on the perimeter while also showcasing his adept route-running abilities in the open field. His first touchdown came on a deep post route following a double move, during which he strode beyond three defenders. He would cash in again from 11 yards out on a fade to the corner of the end zone. Adams remains a top-tier WR2 with WR1 upside when the Rams take on the Broncos in Week 3.

Corum was kept out of the end zone for the second straight game to open the 2026 season but continues to display elite per-touch efficiency. The scoring woes could persist considering the robust red zone role of cohort Kyren Williams, the latter of whom found pay dirt for the second consecutive game to open the season. Corum continues to be a difficult weekly start outside of deeper leagues for as long as he is taken off the field where it matters most to fantasy production, and will remain a borderline FLEX start when the Rams face the Broncos in Week 3.

Williams has opened the season with touchdowns in consecutive games after hitting pay dirt 15 times or more the previous two seasons. The difference this season is that he’s doing it while Blake Corum has been much more involved in the weekly game plan. Williams continues forward with an elevated weekly floor due to his robust red zone role, albeit with a shakier ceiling than in recent years due to the presence of Corum. He remains a back-end RB2 when the Rams travel to Colorado to face the Bronco in Week 3.

It was an inspiring effort from the 38-year-old quarterback while playing without his top option through the air in Puka Nacua. Stafford locked onto Davante Adams, the latter of whom turned 10 targets into eight receptions for 195 yards and two touchdowns, on his way to a 22nd career game with four touchdown passes. He also moved into sixth on the all-time passing touchdown leaderboard, overtaking Philip Rivers with the four-touchdown performance. The Rams shook off their travel woes in convincing fashion to move to 1-1 ahead of road meeting with the Broncos in Week 3, where Stafford will remain a locked-in QB1 in fantasy circles.

News about a new injury for Nacua didn’t surface until Friday, throwing fantasy managers into a late-week scramble to find a suitable replacement, further convoluted by him entering the weekend as a game-time decision. Those that held out in hopes he would be able to play against the Giants now find themselves with limited options. Nacua reportedly went through an abridged pre-game workout to determine his availability, ultimately failing to prove healthy enough to go. The Rams suddenly find themselves extremely thin at wide receiver with Jordan Whittington also inactive. Tutu Atwell, Konata Mumpfield, and Xavier Smith will fight for snaps behind Davante Adams, while there remains the ever-present possibility the Rams lean into heavy personnel alignments. Joining Nacua and Whittington as inactives are S Kam Kinchens, WR CJ Daniels, QB Ty Simpson, and OL Bill Murray.

The Rams will announce their inactives 90 minutes before kickoff, but this is now the second time in two days that Schefter has suggested Nacua will not suit up tonight. Schefter said the team is “not giving up hope” that Nacua could still suit up, but also added, “it doesn’t sound promising right now.” If Nacua is unable to go in Week 2, Davante Adams would be an obvious favorite to see an increase in targets, while running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum could also get more involved as the Rams look for ways to move the ball against a Giants team that gave the Cowboys’ offense fits in Week 1.

Schefter said on Sunday NFL Countdown that Nacua is more likely to be sidelined on Monday against the Giants than he is to suit up and play through his groin injury. It would be a massive blow to the Rams offense, which would likely be more run-heavy if Nacua is out against the Giants. That could mean a big workload for Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. Terrance Ferguson, who ran a route on just 41 percent of the Rams’ drop backs in Week 1, could see a slightly bigger role if Nacua is sidelined.

Nacua was added to the injury report on Friday as a DNP. He failed to get in any reps on Saturday but still received the questionable designation. Given that the game is on Monday, fantasy managers won’t have many contingency options left. With Jordan Whittington also expected to miss Week 2, the Rams’ No. 2 receiver will be either Konata Mumpfield or Xavier Smith if Nacua doesn’t suit up. Both players would be WR5/6 options in the event of a Nacua absence.