When it was announced that Los Angeles Rams star receiver Cooper Kupp would be placed on injured reserve, the initial belief was that Van Jefferson would be the savior in the passing game. The Rams’ Week 1 win over the Seattle Seahawks flipped the script, with Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell rising to the occasion with over 100 receiving yards each.
As fantasy managers look to submit their waiver claims for Week 2, both Nacua and Atwell are worth considering as top-priority adds.
Fantasy football waiver wire, Week 2
Case for Puka Nacua
The rookie wideout out of BYU tied Atwell with 119 receiving yards in Week 1, though he had the advantage with 15 targets coming his way. Nacua finished with 10 receptions as his emerging rapport with Matthew Stafford was on display in Los Angeles’ win. Odds are that Nacua could have totaled more yardage had he caught onto a few of those balls, but his yards after the catch were impressive nonetheless.
With Kupp out for at least three more games, Nacua is worth adding to your fantasy rosters at least in the short term. However, remember that next on deck for the Rams is a tough bout against the San Francisco 49ers. That defense is coming off a win against the Steelers in which they held Kenny Pickett to under 200 passing yards.
Case for Tutu Atwell
The former Louisville standout tied Nacua’s 119 receiving yards on six receptions, which is notable after he logged 298 receiving yards total in 13 games last season. Much like Nacua, Atwell should only thrive with the added targets coming his way as Kupp continues to miss time while on IR. Even against a tough 49ers defense next week, Atwell is worth the addition to rosters given the limited depth at the Rams receiver spot right now.
Once Kupp does come back into the fold, it will be interesting to see how Atwell’s role evolves from there on out. Defenses will suddenly need to divert attention to multiple receivers, which means Atwell could very well carry flex value so long as opposing defenses allocate multiple defenders to Kupp.