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Will Puka Nacua start for the Los Angeles Rams when he returns? John Johnson breaks down the Week 10 Puka Nacua return timeline and fantasy football outlook.
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (ribs) wasn't able to finish his Week 9 game against the New Orleans Saints. He caught seven of his eight targets for 95 yards and a touchdown before taking a shot to the chest and being pulled from the game.
He wasn't able to return, and in his absence, veteran WR Davante Adams finished the game with five of his seven targets caught for 70 yards and two touchdowns. While Nacua has missed time in multiple games due to injury, Adams now has eight touchdowns on the year.
It already appears that Adams is one of the NFL's best red zone weapons. His dominance has caused the Rams to run the ball significantly less at the goal line, instead often opting to pass. And he's been healthy for every game this season. So will Nacua be the starter when he returns?
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Will Puka Nacua Start For The Rams When He Returns?
He's one of the most dominant WRs in the NFL, so yeah. Adams is awesome, but Nacua is truly on another level. If it weren't for his injury issues, he would have been on pace to break the NFL record for receiving yards in a season. But health has always been a concern for the third-year pro.
Though he made it through his rookie season largely unscathed, he's now missed part or all of three games this year and had a stint on injured reserve in 2024. He played just 11 games that year. It's worth at least questioning if Rams head coach Sean McVay will consider reducing his workload.
PUKA NACUA YOU ARE A BAAAAAAD MAN!
📺 @NFLonFOX | #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/yzRxRsSFOM
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 2, 2025
The work I don't really understand is the rush attempts he gets. Running head on full speed into tacklers and the potential for hip-drop tackles seems risky. Any play where a player gets tackled is a risk, of course, but running backs tend to take a ton of punishment, and WR rushing plays are not the safest in the NFL.
Injuries are mostly a random thing, but certain players are simply far more injury-prone than others. Nacua fell in the 2023 NFL Draft largely because he couldn't stay healthy in college, and in the NFL, he's already dealt with injuries to his knee, ankle, and now chest.
Puka catch and run down the sideline for 80 yards!
📺: #LARvsNYG on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/sFjqko01pD pic.twitter.com/n8N5XtOVWk— NFL (@NFL) December 31, 2023
The injury he suffered in Week 9 occurred... on a run play. At this point, I'd be happier to see him not carry the ball anymore. That's what the running backs are for.
Puka Nacua Fantasy Football Outlook
Nothing much needs to be said here. When he's healthy and can actually finish games, he's a league-winner. His upside is sky-high, and there are few players I'd rather have on my roster, even with the injury issues in mind. He's likely challenging for the No. 1 overall pick in fantasy football full-PPR redraft leagues in 2025.
The addition of WR Davante Adams has drawn away significant coverage attention, making it much harder for defenses to scheme Nacua out of the game. They've been forced to pick their poison against one of the best WR duos in the NFL.
PUKA’S FIRST CAREER TD COULDN’T HAVE COME AT A BETTER TIME. pic.twitter.com/4uHlHhY3pI
— NFL (@NFL) October 1, 2023
He's having a truly legendary season in his third year in the league, and playing in an elite offensive environment with an elite offensive-minded head coach and an elite quarterback. You can't ask for much better than that.
While there was some thought that Adams would nerf Nacua's upside, the opposite has come to pass, and Nacua's target volume hasn't taken a hit. He averages 12.4 targets per game in his fully healthy contests this year, which is truly elite volume that you rarely see with WRs in the NFL, even among the best.
He's the best wide receiver to have in terms of pure single-game upside and consistency in the NFL. I only wish I was in more leagues where the manager who drafted him was willing to trade him to me. Consider yourself lucky if you took him in your team's draft.
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 10 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Kimani Vidal, Kyle Monangai, Colston Loveland, Alec Pierce, Parker Washington. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 10. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 10 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
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Popular Week 10 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 10 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Kimani Vidal, Kyle Monangai, Colston Loveland, Alec Pierce, Parker Washington compared to others:
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