Puka Nacua has had an amazing transformation from “How do you pronounce that name” to “Please let me trade for him.” Only two years out of Brigham Young, and he is already putting up incredible numbers. That being said, there’s more pressure on him than ever before because he’s being drafted as a top 5 receiver in the game. While he certainly has the talent to back that up, given the changes that the Rams made in the offseason, should Nacua be taken that high?
Puka Nacua 2024 Stats, Fantasy Production
Nacua’s season was cut a little short due to an early injury. Statistically, Nacua’s performances weren’t always good, but his good games were tremendous. In seven of the eleven games that he played, Nacua got at least 90 yards. His season high was 161 yards in the shootout with Buffalo. The only legit disappointing stat for Nacua is touchdowns. He only got inside the endzone six times throughout the season, and he never had a multiple-touchdown game.
Puka Nacua 2025 Fantasy Outlook
There’s no question that Nacua is one of the best receivers in football. There is a question, however, about when to draft him. The consensus is that he’s the fifth wide receiver to draft, as he is ranked 5th by Fantasy Pros. Contrary to his ranking, though, Nacua’s ADP is sixth among wide receivers. This likely has more to do with the situation that Nacua is going into as opposed to his individual play.
The LA Rams recently picked up Davante Adams from the Jets. It’s quite possible that he might be taking targets away from Nacua, especially in the red zone, where Nacua didn’t really produce last season.
If Adams does emerge as the Rams’ number one option, Nacua could still finish in the top ten wide receivers; he might just have fewer fantasy points than Malik Nabers, Amon Ra St. Brown, or other players in that tier. That’s important to keep in mind for players who are drafting in the middle to late round one, because if they’re going to take a wide receiver with their first pick, they should target someone who can anchor that team.
