During last week’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua suffered an ankle injury. Now, with a game in London on the horizon, Matthew Stafford’s favorite target may be forced to miss some time. What’s the latest on Nacua’s status?
Will Puka Nacua Play in Week 7?
Nacua, who finished with two receptions for 28 yards in their 17-3 win over the Baltimore Ravens, is currently dealing with an ankle injury. The injury came as he was going for a catch in the second quarter.
On Monday, October 13, HC Sean McVay said, “We’ll be day-to-day with him. Initially, he felt pretty good today, but we’ll just see how the week progresses.
“I was encouraged, [senior vice president of sports medicine and performance] Reggie [Scott] was encouraged by the scan in terms of what it revealed,” McVay added. “Whether that means he’s able to play like the guy that we’re accustomed to seeing on Sunday will be a weekly process for us. And so, what we are grateful for is there’s nothing on the scan that looks like it’s going to be long-term. The uncertainty of this week is a real thing.”
On Friday, Nacua was officially ruled out of the Week 7 game against the Jaguars as the star receiver could not recover in time.
In an unusual move, the Rams have decided to spend the week in Baltimore before traveling to London. In an attempt to cut back travel time for players, they practiced at Camden Yards ahead of their Jaguars matchup. Heading into the October 19 game, both teams will enter London with a 4-2 record.
Nacua leads the Rams in receiving, and it’s not even close. The 24-year-old leads the league with 54 receptions and is second with 616 receiving yards. In Los Angeles, veteran WR Davante Adams is second with 26 receptions for 396 yards.
Adams may have one more touchdown than Nacua, but the latter’s 222 yards after catch are by far the most on the team. In fact, no other player has more than 100. Nacua is the No. 2-ranked receiver in PFSN’s WR Impact metric, with a grade of 96.8, behind only Seattle Seahawks star Jaxon Smith-Njigba (97.5).
Through six games, Stafford has a B- grade and is ranked 11th in PFSN’s QB Impact Metric. With Nacua out in Week 7, Stafford will still have Adams to throw to, but he’ll be without his favorite target. LA was more than pleased to learn Nacua’s injury isn’t too serious, but their Week 8 bye likely made this a pretty easy decision for the Rams.
Nacua’s Fantasy Outlook
If you fly too close to the sun, sometimes you get burned. Nacua has been fantasy’s best player this season, but there is no denying that, to make his style work, he puts his body on the line every time he is targeted. We’ve seen him bloody and bruised, but he’s largely been like a prize fighter in that he’s always able to gut through things.
The body has limitations, and this foot injury got the best of the star for at least this week in London. With the bye up next, the 4-2 Rams decided to play the long game with their difference-maker, and I think that’s what we want: lose the Week 7 battle and hope to win the 2025 war.
Tutu Atwell is the target in town that gains the most value should Nacua sit, but you should have better options at the ready on your bench.
Let’s hope for the best.
