Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, arguably fantasy's top wide receiver so far in 2025, went down with an ankle injury Sunday in their Week 6 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
Nacua played through the second half but didn't earn a target.
Now, the star is expected to miss Week 7 due to a diagnosed ankle sprain.
However, despite this attempted return, Nacua did not log a single stat for the rest of the game. Afterward, Sean McVay spoke on the injury. "Puka tried to be able to give it a go, just didn't feel good enough," McVay said. "He maybe could have really pressed through, but we were kind of more being smart than anything."
Read more on Nacua's injury and how it relates to fantasy football.
Will Puka Nacua play in Week 7?
Nacua is not expected to play in Week 7 as the Rams are set to travel to London take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo:
#Rams WR Puka Nacua, the NFL’s leader in catches, suffered an ankle sprain that will likely cause him to miss time, per me and @MikeGarafolo.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 13, 2025
It would make sense for Nacua to be out next week against the #Jaguars, then LAR has a bye to regroup and assess. pic.twitter.com/6e8EaBpe9m
Nacua's return to play in Week 6 was a positive, but the ding proved too much to be optimistic about him suiting up for the immediate future.
The Rams' bye is in Week 8, so they might give Nacua a two-week rest regardless of whether he could push through and play.
Track NFL injury news before fixing your fantasy lineups.
How does this injury affect Puka Nacua's fantasy value?
Despite Nacua failing to produce in the second half, his being available to go out there at all should be a sigh of relief for those who have him.
Even though he was used as a decoy, we can most likely rule out a season-ending injury, barring needed surgery.
Nacua was the WR1 overall in fantasy football before the injury and was off to a historic start. His season-long finish will obviously be impacted, but nothing past that, depending on the severity.
Would Matthew Stafford be a fantasy starter if Puka Nacua is sidelined?
Because he doesn't typically run much to supplement his aerial stats, Stafford likely would reside in the borderline-QB1 tiers of the fantasy position without Nacua.
Davante Adams acting as WR1 isn't a huge downgrade, but Nacua's after-the-catch prowess helps augment Stafford's passing yardage.
The group behind Adams of Tutu Atwell, Jordan Whittington, tight ends Tyler Higbee and Davis Allen, and running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum could be enough to hold up Stafford as a QB1/QB2 most weeks.
The Jags defense is a sneaky-effective resistance for quarterbacks, but Sam Darnold was able to put up 295 passing yards and two touchdowns on them in Week 6.
See where we slot Matthew Stafford in our weekly fantasy rankings.
Should I pick up Tutu Atwell or Jordan Whittington?
Before the hamstring injury that Tutu Atwell sustained at practice, he would've been the clear waiver wire pick-up if Nacua were to miss.
Atwell and Matthew Stafford started to form a bit of a connection, especially on deep balls.
However, because his status is also unknown, Jordan Whittington becomes an interesting choice.
Whittington was targeted 4 times by Stafford and caught 3 of them for just 23 yards. The Rams will face the Jags next week, who allow 22.1 fantasy points per game to opposing WRs.
Whittington could be the more consistent option in PPR leagues, while Atwell is the better target in half-PPR and lower for reception points, as he's the more dynamic big-play option for yardage.
For more pickup tips for Rams wide receivers and elsewhere, read our Week 7 waiver wire.