Puka Nacua

Week 10 vs. Miami Dolphins

Well, that wasn't what you were hoping for with Puka Nacua in your lineup last week. Nacua finished with 4 targets for 1 catch and 11 yards, plus one punch and one ejection. Not great.

The Dolphins are 7th aFPA against wide receivers so this is a tough matchup for Nacua, but coming in at WR14 on the week he's still projecting out great. He's a high-end WR2 on the week and a must-start in all formats this week.

Week 8 vs. Minnesota Vikings

Puka Nacua has been activated off IR and is available to play against the Vikings. He's going through pre-game warmups and his role is up in the air. On one hand, we can look back to the situation with Jordan Whittington last week where he was "active," but didn't play. I'm only playing Nacua if I'm desperate and don't have other options.

Fantasy Upside
Coming off one of the greatest rookie wide receiver seasons we've ever seen, the expectations for Puka Nacua are sky-high. He's currently coming off the board inside the top 10 on most platforms as the WR7. Nacua had 158 targets last season and averaged 2.7 yards per route run, both in the top 10 of the league last season. Nacua also had the highest drop %, per SIS, last season at 10.9% so if he's able to cut the drops even a decent amount he looks even better.

Fantasy Downside
Assuming Cooper Kupp is healthier this season, there is the chance he retains his WR1 role out of the slot in this Sean McVay offense. While unlikely, it is still possible. That said, in the 12 games he played with Kupp, Nacua averaged three fewer targets and catches per game than the five games he played without Kupp.

2024 Bottom Line
There's a strong possibility with a healthy Kupp that Nacua isn't able to pay off his WR7 ADP, but still be a top-10 receiver. In that sense, he's a safe pick, but unlikely to have the massive spike weeks needed to win in best ball. However, if Kupp misses any time he could look like a top-3 receiver. He's a buy if he dips below his current ADP of 10.4 on Underdog.