In his weekly Friday press conference with the media, Sean McVay said, despite Puka Nacua aggravating his knee injury in practice yesterday, he “wouldn’t bet against” the wide receiver playing against the Seahawks.
Credit to @sarahbarshop of NFL Nation for the report.
It’s encouraging news, of course, for Rams fans and Nacua managers everywhere. Puka’s going to be an essential piece of the Rams’ potential playoff run during the second half of the season.
However, this situation is far too murky for fantasy managers to not have a backup plan. The Rams play the Seahawks at 4:05, which means many of the potential replacements for a last-minute Nacua absent will have already locked in their one o’ clock games.
Let’s take a look at two of Matthew Stafford’s other favorite targets, TuTu Atwell and Jordan Whittington, to see if they’re worth rostering in case Nacua doesn’t play.
Analysis
TuTu Atwell
So, this one’s fairly easy. Last week, Atwell only ran seven routes. That was second-to-last on the team to…Blake Corum.
I’m not sure if that was a particular part of the gameplan in a Vikings-specific way. But that’s a clear season-low for Atwell, and it shows what sort of personnel the Rams plan to use when they’re fully healthy.
It’s likely the Rams will get Jordan Whittington (shoulder) back this weekend, so I went and took a look at the route participation for Atwell when it was Whittington running the Nacua tree. This’d be back in Week 5 against the Green Bay Packers.
Atwell ran 42 routes, and Whittington ran 41. Demarcus Robinson also ran 47. I would imagine, with Cooper Kupp back, either Whittington or Atwell will be the odd man out in Week 9 should Nacua sit.
I love TuTu, and Matthew Stafford has a great deep-ball rapport with him. But I don’t think he’d be the guy I’d turn to this week.
Jordan Whittington
Whittington, on the other hand, would be if he’s fully healthy. I say that, of course, presuming he’ll practice at least in a limited fashion Friday. Coach Sean McVay said he would. The Rams have been cagey about these wideout injuries this season, so while I expect Whittington to see a decreased snap percentage against the Seahawks, I feel as if he’ll be running Puka’s routes.
Here’s an explanation on that in which I compare Whittington’s route tree with Puka’s from two of their rookie-year games:
Let’s focus on one in particular, in which Nacua logged seven receptions for 71 yards on 11 targets (Week 5 against PHI). A fairly similar line to Whittington’s in Week 5 against Green Bay in 2024, no? Even eerier: Nacua ran 41 routes in this game against the Eagles—same number Whittington ran Sunday against the Packers.
Here’s Puka’s route chart in that game:
Now, here’s Whittington’s from the Packers game:
It’s not exactly a reach to say that the Rams have Whittington working the same part of the field, and, in some cases, running the same routes on Puka’s tree. Whittington has had a few more opportunities in the backfield, and has more hitches incorporated here than Nacua did against the Eagles. But that might just be because Stafford in 2024 doesn’t have the time that 2023 Stafford might have had behind a better offensive line.
But that’s not enough to make me want to start Whittington. I was too conservative with Puka’s knee injury with regards to his performance against the Vikings. This whole Whittington shoulder situation post-BYE has been something I think we stay away from.
Bottom Line (Demarcus Robinson?)
News that Nacua had even a scare in practice yesterday stinks. If he plays, you’re rolling him out there. We saw why in Week 8 against the Vikings. But don’t rule out the risk that he might injure himself in the game, or sit altogether.
If the latter happens—honestly? I might go Demarcus Robinson if he’s available in your leagues. How’s Stafford not going to trust him after that gorgeous route for his second touchdown against the Vikings?
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is thegreatdansby9) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information
Dan Johnson has been an editor, writer, and analyst for DraftKings and DraftKings Network since 2024. He’s previously held editorial posts at The Paris Review, Macmillan Publishers, Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, ASSIGNMENT Magazine, and FantasySixPack. You can find his various editorial work & writing (sports-related and non-) at all of the above.
Disclaimer
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is thegreatdansby9) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
