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 extensive receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua again within the lineup. Of their return to the offense, the extensive 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 necessary division matchup in Week 9 on the highway in opposition to the Seattle Seahawks and can hope to have each extensive receivers out there.
Puka Nacua harm standing
In accordance with The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue, Nacua will likely be listed as questionable with a knee harm heading into Sunday. The Rams extensive 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 apply.
The silver lining is that no structural harm was performed and due to this fact Nacua mustn’t miss any vital time. NFL Community’s Ian Rapoport mentioned on Friday,
“Puka Nacua goes to be positive. My understanding after speaking to a number of sources, no main harm, not a lot of a difficulty going ahead…they’re going to depart the door open for him whether it is potential.”
Nacua will seemingly be a sport time determination and be a participant to observe 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 sphere this season, he has proven why he was a well-liked second-round choose in fantasy drafts. Final week, Nacua was the WR15 as he had 18.1 PPR factors. The problem with Nacua has been accidents and being out there.
Because it was seen final week, if Nacua does play, it ought 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 necessary division sport in opposition to the Seahawks, they aren’t going to fiddle and have Nacua on any type of snap-count. If Nacua performs, he’s going to be a featured participant within the offense.
Nonetheless, the Rams are nonetheless going to play it good with him. Rams head coach Sean McVay mentioned on Friday,
“I wouldn’t wager in opposition to this man. My expectation is he’s going to do all the things in his energy to be able to roll and that’s the mindset that we’ve. We’re going to be good 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 principle beneficiary from a fantasy perspective. There’s no denying the connection that Matthew Stafford and Kupp have had over the past 4 years. Kupp is the extensive receiver that Stafford trusts probably the most, particularly if Nacua wasn’t enjoying.
Different gamers to control 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. Nonetheless, 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 received 87 p.c of the group’s offensive snaps. The Rams have particular roles for every extensive 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.
