Most elite wide receivers weren’t late fifth round NFL draft picks. Puka Nacua is not like most wide receivers. From the moment he entered the league, Nacua has performed at the highest level and is now firmly established as the Los Angeles Rams WR1 and Matthew Stafford’s favorite target. For as long as Stafford and Nacua remain healthy, it should be status quo going forward for fantasy football.
Should You Draft Puka Nacua in Fantasy Football?
What is there really to stay about Nacua that isn’t already known? He’s played three professional seasons and never finished lower than WR6. He’s improved every season, going from 17.6 fantasy points per game as a rookie to 18.8 PPG as a sophomore and then posting an overall WR1 finish with 23.4 PPG in his third year. Nacua has the potential to be one of the best wide receivers in fantasy football history.
The craziest part of Nacua’s overall WR1 finish last season is that there’s somehow more meat on the bone. Sure, his absurd 30.3% target share and 36.6% targets per route run rate can’t really increase. But he only played 70% of the snaps and ran a route on just 77% of Stafford’s dropbacks.
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Typically, with massive volume comes a drop in efficiency. Yet, Nacua led the league with 3.79 yards per route run. He truly is the perfect combination of volume and efficiency.
Nacua posted 10 games with 20+ fantasy points last season, three of which were over 30. He has a high weekly floor and the highest weekly ceiling possible.
Nacua’s Redraft Fantasy Football Value
There are three candidates to be the first wide receiver off the board in 2026 fantasy drafts: Ja’Marr Chase, Nacua, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. There’s really no wrong answer. We have Chase as the WR1, but would not fault anyone for preferring Nacua.
All three of these wide receivers have similar upside. When splitting hairs, it comes down to what downside concerns you the most, if any do at all.
Nacua’s elite value is tethered to a 38 year old Stafford. He’d still be a WR1 without Stafford, but likely more in the 15-17 PPG range than 22+. Chase has already played a considerable number of games without Joe Burrow, and that’s exactly where his production drops to.
Smith-Njigba plays on a low volume passing offense. Thus, he is more dependent on elite efficiency and maintaining a target share in excess of 30%. None of these issues is a major concern for any of these players, and there’s no wrong answer.
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We have Nacua at WR2 and believe he should be the fourth player off the board in 2026 fantasy drafts.
Nacua’s Dynasty Fantasy Football Value
Long term, Nacua’s outlook isn’t necessarily as rosy as the other two. It’s still elite, obviously. Age is not a concern at 25 years old. But he’s likely losing Stafford at some point in the next year or two. It’s possible Sean McVay leaves with him. As Justin Jefferson showed us last season, the wrong quarterback can torpedo the fantasy value of even the most talented wide receiver.
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With that said, there’s no reason to be selling or fading Nacua in dynasty. He is our No. 2 overall non-QB in dynasty behind Chase. If you have Nacua, you should not be looking to sell, regardless of whether you are contending this year.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.