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When is Puka Nacua coming back? Will Puka Nacua play again this season? Read about Puka Nacua's return date and injury updates for 2026.
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua was unable to suit up in Week 2 as he was dealing with a groin injury. However, the star wideout has not made much progress and is already in danger of missing Week 3.
While it is still early in the week, the 25-year-old's status is now in serious doubt, and fantasy managers should begin looking for alternative options.
When is Nacua coming back? Let's dive in!
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Puka Nacua Injury Update for Fantasy Football
Even after sitting out Monday night, the Rams' top wideout may need an additional week to recover. As reported by Gary Klein of The Los Angeles Times, head coach Sean McVay said Nacua was unable to play in Week 2 due to "groin soreness" and is "not sure what his status is as far as this next coming week."
McVay added that he is "hopeful" Nacua will play, but he did not offer a concrete timeline.
While Nacua has not been ruled out, managers should pay close attention to his status at the start of the week, as any new setback could likely keep him on the sidelines for another week.
Leading into Week 2, Nacua was a full participant on Thursday, but was downgraded to a non-participant on Friday and Saturday.
Managers should watch this early-week participation closely, as it will likely be a major indicator of his Week 3 availability. On Wednesday, he was listed as a non-participant in an estimated practice report.
Rams "Hopeful" Puka Nacua Can Play in Week 3 https://t.co/3Il35hvKAh
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 22, 2026
Puka Nacua Fantasy Football Outlook
While this injury has significantly hindered his short-term outlook, Nacua remains an elite wide receiver for fantasy football. In their Week 1 loss to the 49ers, Nacua had a modest effort but still caught five of nine targets for 74 yards.
Last season, Nacua had a dominant season, finding the back of the end zone 10 times and logging 129 receptions for 1,715 yards. This marked career highs for him in all three statistics as he served as the top wideout in Matthew Stafford's MVP campaign.
While he remains sidelined, managers should expect veteran Davante Adams to hold WR1 upside in all matchups. On Monday night, Adams took the lead in the offense, catching eight of his 10 targets for 195 yards and two touchdowns. Nacua's absence slightly lowers Stafford's ceiling and will likely push the Rams to lean more on their rushing attack (Kyren Williams and Blake Corum).
In Week 3, the Rams are set to face a tough Denver Broncos defense. If Nacua is cleared to play, he carries must-start upside despite the injury risk. In the event he misses his second straight week, Adams would hold low-end WR1 value, while Williams would be a high-floor RB2, and Corum would carry standalone FLEX upside.
Additionally, Nacua's absence would open up viable streaming upside for young tight end Terrance Ferguson, who enjoyed a breakout game on Monday night.
Stafford ➡️ Ferguson to add six more to the board!@NYGvsLAR on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/4hUTqMH0VT— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2026
If this injury lingers, Nacua could emerge as a top buy-low candidate for a fantasy team that has enjoyed a productive start. Even if he were to miss more time, managers could take a short-term hit to secure the potential WR1 on a per-game basis at a reduced cost.
Who Should I Start Tool
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Week 3 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players: Kyren Williams, Blake Corum, Davante Adams, Puka Nacua, Matthew Stafford, Terrance Ferguson. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 3.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, player news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 3 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 3 (2026)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 3 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 3 for Kyren Williams, Blake Corum, Davante Adams, Puka Nacua, Matthew Stafford, Terrance Ferguson:
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