Dec 8, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (17) celebrates scores on a 4-yard touchdown run in the second quarter against the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Why Puka Nacua is Still an Elite Fantasy Target

Originally posted on Los Angeles Rams on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Since coming into the NFL, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua has been one of the most consistently dominant fantasy football scorers in the league over the past two years. Now, he's setting out to not only retain his status as a top-tier wideout but also stake his claim as the undisputed WR1.

Injuries derailed his momentum last season. Still, he finished in the top six in average points per game (first 17 weeks) in 2024 at his position. That's not good enough for Nacua. As great as he is, there's still room for improvement in his third year, particularly at finding the end zone, considering he's only racked up 10 total touchdowns in 28 games for the Rams so far in his career.

So long as he and quarterback Matthew Stafford stay healthy, there's no reason that he can't have another fantastic fantasy season. But the emergence of other young star wide receivers, such as Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr., and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, threatens his place in the upper echelon. Can Puka Nacua leave them in the dust in the 2025 NFL season?

Puka Nacua is a bulletproof fantasy star

Aside from the suddenly deep crop of outstanding young wideouts, there are factors within the Los Angeles Rams that could poke some holes in Puka Nacua's case as fantasy's WR1 in 2025. First and foremost is the health and availability of quarterback Matthew Stafford. After dealing with a nagging back injury throughout training camp, worries arose about his viability in the upcoming season.

There's also the arrival of Davante Adams to consider. With the Rams having a legitimate star at WR2, Nacua's usage and volume have been thrown into question. The Rotoworld staff isn't too concerned with his fantasy prospects, though, even with Adams lining up next to him:

"Though Adams’ numbers remained strong in 2024, Aaron Rodgers was force-feeding him targets once he joined the Jets. Adams won’t have that advantage in LA, meaning fantasy managers shouldn’t be overly concerned with his impact on Nacua.

Puka led all receivers in targets per route (.35) and yards per route (3.2). It wasn’t a close race either. He finished as the WR3 in PPR points per game despite leaving multiple contests early. As long as he stays healthy, fantasy managers should expect a top-five finish from Nacua."

Spotlight Sports Group projects that he'll total 257 full-PPR points in 2025 in 17 games. That's a decent turnout, but he'll have to do a better job if he wants to finish as fantasy's WR1.

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This article first appeared on Los Angeles Rams on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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