Recreation day replace: The Rams anticipate Puka Nacua “to have the ability to attempt to play” on Sunday, per Adam Schefter.
The Los Angeles Rams offense lastly hit its stride final week with large receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua again within the lineup. Of their return to the offense, the large receiver duo mixed for 12 catches for 157 yards and a landing. Regardless of beginning the season 1-4, the Rams have since received two straight. They’ve an vital division matchup in Week 9 on the street in opposition to the Seattle Seahawks and can hope to have each large receivers out there.
Puka Nacua harm standing
In response to The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue, Nacua will probably be listed as questionable with a knee harm heading into Sunday. The Rams large receiver has been coping with a knee harm going again to the summer season. He suffered a burst bursa sac in coaching camp and re-injured it in Week 1 that put him on injured reserve. Nacua returned final week and re-aggravated the harm throughout Thursday’s follow.
The silver lining is that no structural harm was executed and due to this fact Nacua shouldn’t miss any important time. NFL Community’s Ian Rapoport mentioned on Friday,
“Puka Nacua goes to be nice. My understanding after speaking to a number of sources, no main harm, not a lot of a problem going ahead…they’re going to depart the door open for him whether it is potential.”
Nacua will seemingly be a recreation time resolution and be a participant to watch on Sunday. The Rams will play the Seahawks within the later window of video games at 4:25 p.m. ET.
What Puka Nacua harm means for fantasy soccer
When Puka Nacua has been on the sector this season, he has proven why he was a preferred second-round choose in fantasy drafts. Final week, Nacua was the WR15 as he had 18.1 PPR factors. The difficulty with Nacua has been accidents and being out there.
Because it was seen final week, if Nacua does play, it needs to be anticipated for him to get a full workload. The Rams are in a ‘now or by no means’ a part of their season. With an vital division recreation in opposition to the Seahawks, they aren’t going to fiddle and have Nacua on any kind of snap-count. If Nacua performs, he’s going to be a featured participant within the offense.
Nevertheless, the Rams are nonetheless going to play it sensible with him. Rams head coach Sean McVay mentioned on Friday,
“I wouldn’t guess in opposition to this man. My expectation is he’s going to do all the pieces in his energy to be able to roll and that’s the mindset that we have now. We’re going to be sensible with him, get him turned over and attempt to get that knee feeling pretty much as good as potential for gameday.”
Within the case that Nacua can’t go, Kupp could be the primary beneficiary from a fantasy perspective. There’s no denying the connection that Matthew Stafford and Kupp have had during the last 4 years. Kupp is the large receiver that Stafford trusts essentially the most, particularly if Nacua wasn’t taking part in.
Different gamers to keep watch over right here could be Jordan Whittington and Tyler Johnson. The Rams have used Whittington within the Nacua function within the offense this season. In Weeks 4 and 5, the rookie out of Texas mixed for 13 receptions for 151 yards and was the WR24 in these two weeks. Nevertheless, Whittington missed final week with a shoulder harm and is as soon as once more listed as questionable in opposition to the Seahawks.
Again in Week 2 with Nacua out of the lineup, Johnson acquired 87 p.c of the workforce’s offensive snaps. The Rams have particular roles for every large receiver place. If Nacua isn’t capable of play, Whittington could be the primary participant to fit into that function with Johnson the subsequent participant on the depth chart.
