After one of the greatest offseasons in NFL history on paper, the Los Angeles Rams’ disastrous 2026 season took yet another turn for the worse on Sunday afternoon, when two-time All-Pro wide receiver Puka Nacua sustained a knee injury that is expected to keep him out for several weeks, keeping him on the sidelines alongside Davante Adams (hamstring).
With Nacua likely to miss at least four games as the Rams contemplate putting him on IR, their playoff hopes look somewhat dire, as they’re one game behind the final Wild Card spot as is and have suffered significant injuries throughout the campaign. Los Angeles is extremely thin at wide receiver, especially after opting against adding help at the position ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. Konata Mumpfield is currently the Rams’ leading healthy wide receiver.
Mumpfield and Tutu Atwell have both been among the most added wide receivers in Yahoo Sports fantasy leagues this week, as some savvy fantasy managers have looked to take advantage of Los Angeles’ depleted personnel at the position.
Results and Usage
Both Nacua and Adams have missed time this season, but Week 10 will mark the first time that the Rams have been without both of their star wideouts. Nacua sat out Weeks 2 and 3 while dealing with a groin injury, but Adams appeared in both of those games, catching 15 passes for 332 yards and two scores combined. Then, after Adams went down with his hamstring injury in Week 6, Nacua managed a total of 33 catches, 298 yards, and three touchdowns in Weeks 7, 8, and 9. Beyond them, Mumpfield has 11 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown, with four catches, 93 yards, and a score coming in Week 3 without Nacua. No other Los Angeles wideout has more than 100 receiving yards.
The talent downgrade from Nacua and Adams to Mumpfield is massive. This season, Mumpfield ranks just 93rd among 120 wide receivers by Pro Football Focus’ offensive grades, including just the 95th-highest receiving grade. However, he does have some strengths, as he’s generated a respectable 2.6 yards of separation per average targeted route, more than Adams. Mumpfield has also managed 1.4 more yards after the catch than expected, more than either Adams or Nacua. However, he’s dropped passes at a higher rate than either Nacua or Adams, and Matthew Stafford has been intercepted twice when throwing to him, so Stafford has posted just a 49.5 passer rating on his targets.
Future Outlook
Given that Mumpfield’s average depth of target this season is 13.3 yards, he appears to be far closer in style to Adams (15.5) than Nacua (7.6). However, his usage this season has differed significantly from his scouting report coming out of college, as he was seen as a short and medium possession receiver without offering much as a deep threat, much like Nacua after his career at BYU. His performance against the Denver Broncos in Week 3 was reminiscent of Nacua’s tape in some ways, although he had a drop and bobbled another ball that Nacua likely would’ve brought in more convincingly.
Stafford’s better option, though, is probably just to throw it to his tight ends and hand it off to his running backs. The Rams have operated a pretty pass-centric offense this season, as they’ve attempted the third-most passes and just the 15th-most runs, but they rank just 14th in net yards per passing attempt and sixth in rushing yards per attempt. Both Kyren Williams and Blake Corum are healthy, and they’ve combined for nearly1,400 yards from scrimmage this season while ranking first and second among qualified rushers in success rate. Los Angeles also loves to operate in three tight end sets, and Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen, and Terrance Ferguson all have more significant track records of success than Mumpfield.
On paper, Mumpfield has a decent matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, who have allowed the 15th-most FPTS to wide receivers. Arizona has given up the 13th-most receiving yards to the position, as well as the second-most touchdown passes, although the latter might benefit Atwell more if he plays more directly in Adams’ role and Mumpfield fills in for Nacua. However, the Cardinals also haven’t been that great against opposing running backs, especially dual-threat backs like Williams, and they’ve also given up the sixth-most touchdowns to tight ends. I’d rather start one of the Rams’ tight ends before I’d back Mumpfield.
