Hayden Winks said he nudged Puka Nacua down his overall board—dropping him behind Christian McCaffrey—because the Rams still have not put Matthew Stafford on the practice field. Winks stressed that every day Stafford sits should shave a bit more value off Rams skill players. He is not demoting Nacua within the wide-receiver ranks, only in the cross-position ranks, because he believes Nacua’s manufactured touches (screens, quick-outs, jet motion) will translate even if Jimmy Garoppolo ends up starting. Winks reminded listeners that Garoppolo is “fine for a backup,” but a first-round ADP attached to a possibly league-average quarterback carries extra risk. The actionable takeaway: keep taking Nacua, but treat him more like the last name in the Round-1/2 turn instead of the middle of Round 1 in season-long or best-ball drafts.

Pat Kerrane has flipped Christian McCaffrey ahead of Puka Nacua in his 1-2 pocket after Matthew Stafford’s chronic back flared up again. Kerrane already had 16 percent Puka exposure but said he is now "basically following ADP" because a Stafford setback would cut the Rams’ pass-rate-over-expected and crater Nacua’s reception volume. He conceded Nacua could still survive with Jimmy Garoppolo—thanks to Jimmy G’s tendency to pepper first reads—but the downside of a backup QB or extended Stafford absence makes Nacua a less optimal first-round anchor than the workload-proof McCaffrey. Kerrane will keep nibbling on Puka shares only when he slides past the middle of the first round in Best Ball drafts.

Pat Kerrane said he has officially moved Christian McCaffrey ahead of Puka Nacua in Round-1 best-ball drafts and will only click Nacua after the 1-2 turn. Kerrane’s pivot is driven by mounting concern over Matthew Stafford’s chronically bad back—“it has been injured since 2011,” he reminded listeners. If the veteran quarterback skips next week’s joint practices with Arizona, Kerrane will get even more bearish, fearing the Rams may have to turn to a stop-gap like Jimmy Garoppolo. A Garoppolo-led offense would slash Los Angeles’ explosive-pass rate and pin Nacua to lower yards-per-route efficiency. Kerrane already had 16 % exposure to Nacua early in draft season but is now following market sentiment, advising drafters to prioritize the higher floor/ceiling combo of McCaffrey at pick 6-8 while letting Nacua drift. He called paying full freight on the wideout before Stafford’s health stabilizes “an extinction-level risk.”

Pat Kerrane is hammering Puka Nacua whenever he slips outside the top five picks, insisting the market treats him like a tier below CeeDee Lamb when his resume says otherwise. Nacua posted an outrageous 3.23 yards per route run last year—Tyreek-level efficiency—and racked up 40 targets in his first two NFL games. Even battling shoulder and groin issues, he still lapped the league; the runner-up, Nico Collins, managed only 2.86 YPRR. Kerrane shrugged off worries about newcomer Davante Adams, stating flatly that Nacua is "just better" and remains Sean McVay's unquestioned first read. McVay backed that up this week, praising Nacua’s off-field routine to stay healthy. In spike-week–driven Best Ball tournaments, Kerrane prefers Nacua over veteran runners like Christian McCaffrey and already holds 16 % exposure.

Pat Kerrane explained why he is sitting at 16 % exposure to Puka Nacua and still clicking whenever the Rams star falls outside the top five picks. Nacua posted a ridiculous 3.23 yards per route run last season—easily tops in the league and nearly half a yard better than second-place Nico Collins (2.86). He also racked up 40 targets in his first two NFL games and cleared 2.75 YPRR as a rookie, numbers Kerrane likened to early-career Tyreek Hill. Sean McVay just praised Nacua’s off-field routine and conditioning, easing health concerns that stem from his partial-season college history. Kerrane thinks the market incorrectly treats Nacua as a tier below CeeDee Lamb, even though Nacua is already the clear No. 1 over Davante Adams in Los Angeles. In formats that reward single-week spike weeks, he views Nacua’s combination of target share and after-catch ability as a genuine overall WR1 outcome and is comfortable sacrificing some Christian McCaffrey shares to stay overweight.

Matt Harmon argued that fantasy drafters are already bored with Puka Nacua even though the 23-year-old just vaulted into what he calls the NFL’s six-man "true elite" receiver tier. Reception Perception shows Nacua improved from zone-only assassin as a rookie to a complete receiver in Year 2, adding down-field ball-winning that he specifically told Harmon he worked on last offseason. Despite finishing top-five in targets, catches, and yards, Nacua was left off ESPN’s decision-maker top-10 WR list, which Harmon labeled "crazy." He views Nacua as a justified first-round pick in 2024 drafts and a slam-dunk cornerstone in dynasty, noting Cooper Kupp’s age makes Puka the unchallenged alpha in Sean McVay’s high-volume attack for years.

Andy Holloway said Puka Nacua can “easily” finish as the overall WR1 and is a smash at his current 1.09 ADP. Holloway reminded listeners that after returning from his early-season oblique injury Nacua was on a 17-game pace for 170 targets, 124 catches and 1,600 yards despite playing one game at only 30 % of snaps. Touchdowns (just six in two seasons) are the lone missing ingredient, but Holloway noted elite wideouts often have a random 12-13 TD spike year and expects positive variance now that defenses must also account for Davante Adams in the red zone. Because he is being drafted as the WR5—well behind Jefferson, Chase and Hill—Holloway views Nacua as a rare late-first value in both season-long and best-ball formats as long as Matthew Stafford’s back cooperates.

Jason Moore warned that Puka Nacua’s current third-round ADP only makes sense if Matthew Stafford stays upright. Moore said that a Jimmy Garoppolo takeover would be “devastating” because Garoppolo habitually spreads the ball and struggles to connect on deep, outside-the-numbers throws—the very routes that propelled Nacua’s breakout. He cited last year’s Raiders tape where Davante Adams routinely torched corners down the sideline yet averaged just 54 receiving yards in Garoppolo’s six starts. Moore expects a similar efficiency collapse for Nacua and even projects a 3-4 target dip per game if Stafford’s lingering back and neck issues force him to the sideline. Fantasy managers should either pair Nacua with a sturdier WR floor or fade him outright in season-long drafts until Stafford proves healthy.

Pat Kerrane preferred drafting Puka Nacua over Christian McCaffrey at pick 1.07. He argued Nacua already draws targets at an elite rate and added a full yard to his yards per route run as a rookie—rare efficiency for a first-year wideout. Kerrane noted that both players carry some injury risk, but Nacua offers a younger profile with a similar ceiling and a far higher weekly target floor. In best ball, Kerrane views the 23-year-old receiver as a better bet to stay productive all season while still owning week-winning upside, making him a smarter pick than the aging workhorse RB at that slot.

Kelly Bydlon is betting Puka Nacua over 5.5 receiving TDs at –120. With Cooper Kupp gone and an aging Davante Adams sliding into a complementary role, Bydlon expects Nacua to become "the dude" in Los Angeles. He referenced his Matthew Stafford MVP long-shot as evidence he anticipates healthy pass volume and argued five-and-a-half scores is simply too low for a new No. 1 option.

Answering a redraft question, Pat Fantasy Dog Pound advised selecting Puka Nacua over Malik Nabers at the 1.07 in 10-team PPR leagues once the elite six are off the board. Pat conceded Nabers probably carries the higher season-long ceiling but pointed out that Nacua offers a much higher weekly floor thanks to his established chemistry with Matthew Stafford and a clarified offensive role. Nabers, by contrast, must adapt to an offense that could toggle between Russell Wilson and Jaxson Dart in-season, creating early volatility. For managers chasing both stability and upside after the top tier is gone, Pat believes Nacua’s bankable target volume makes him the smarter pick.

Pat Kerrane said he would not hesitate to grab Puka Nacua if the wide-out’s ADP settled at 1.03. Kerrane already takes Nacua every time the sophomore slips to pick seven or later, and feels the market is finally catching up to how valuable an alpha receiver with his target-earning profile should be in full-PPR best ball formats. Even though Kerrane personally prefers CeeDee Lamb and wants some running-back exposure early, he still believes Nacua’s combination of league-winning ceiling and floor warrants top-three consideration.

Davis Mattek said opening a true zero-RB draft with Puka Nacua immediately secures elite weekly upside. Nacua plays every home game indoors at SoFi, and Mattek argued the controlled environment adds a reliable ceiling boost—exactly what you need when you are trying to roster four top-15 wide-receiver scorers. Banking Nacua’s spike-week potential lets drafters comfortably wait several more rounds before addressing running back, which is the entire thesis of his zero-RB structure on Underdog.

Pat Kerrane went to bat for Puka Nacua, calling him "every bit as good as Ja'Marr Chase or Justin Jefferson and already better than CeeDee Lamb." Nacua exploded to 3.59 yards per route run in Year 2 after posting 2.59 as a rookie— a leap Kerrane said places him in truly generational territory. He dismissed the "injury-prone" narrative as fantasy groupthink, noting most players labeled that way eventually shake it once they string together healthy seasons. With wide-receiver supply evaporating quickly after Round 1, Kerrane wants Nacua over Christian McCaffrey whenever the two flip in ADP, arguing Nacua offers comparable week-winning upside without McCaffrey’s multi-week soft-tissue floor. In his current Best Ball portfolio Kerrane is prioritizing Nacua shares before the market fully corrects, projecting another target-hog season in a Rams offense that has quietly trended more pass-heavy each year under Sean McVay.

Jagger May urged drafters to stay aggressive on Puka Nacua. The Rams still lack an explosive run game—Kyren Williams’ fantasy value has come from red-zone volume, not yardage—so the passing rate should remain high. Nacua demanded an elite target share as a rookie and now benefits from Davante Adams drawing bracket coverage on the perimeter, a dynamic similar to what Cooper Kupp enjoyed in the same system. May expects heavy weekly volume and believes Nacua can challenge for WR1 overall finishes even with Adams on the roster.

Pat Kerrane said he would actively shop the eighth overall pick in BBM-style drafts. His preferred move is sliding from 1.08 to the 1-2 turn while demanding an upgrade in the 2nd and, ideally, earlier selections in the 4th or 6th rounds. Kerrane views a clear post-Puka Nacua tier break that makes the end of the first round virtually identical to the middle, so collecting extra day-two capital without losing access to "superstar" outcomes is a free roll. He stressed that you still need at least one first-round ceiling player—citing Nico Collins and Brian Thomas Jr. as late-1 candidates who can "go nuts"—to win large-field finals, and therefore would never ship the pick entirely for depth. The goal is to preserve a true alpha while front-loading the roster with a second-round hammer and more mid-round ammo.

Jason Moore called Puka Nacua a rock-solid first-round pick in full-PPR formats, praising him as a "target hog" who already operates like an alpha. Moore dismissed concerns about Nacua’s modest touchdown total, emphasizing that receptions drive scoring in PPR and the Rams’ scheme funnels volume his way. He noted that when you draft Nacua you are banking on 100-plus catch upside and 180-200 targets, buying the same reception floor that pushes early wideouts such as CeeDee Lamb up draft boards. Moore said he would have selected Nacua himself at 1.09 and even preferred him over riskier running-back names because the weekly points are "banked" through volume.

Ryan Heath called Puka Nacua the most underrated Round-1 selection in 2025 drafts. Nacua’s 0.170 first-downs-per-route-run (1D/RR) ranked 2nd among all seasons in the Fantasy Points Data Suite, more than double Cooper Kupp’s rate. In the nine 2024 games where he wasn’t injured or ejected he averaged 10.7 targets, a ridiculous 44.6% first-read target share, and 104.9 receiving yards per game — all figures that would have led the league. After staying healthy for all 17 games as a rookie, Heath believes durability concerns are overblown and ranks Nacua as a top-5 overall pick, noting he’s still available in the back half of Round 1 on Underdog.

Ryan Heath said Puka Nacua remains the most underrated first-round pick in 2025 drafts. Nacua’s 0.170 first-downs-per-route-run ranked 2nd among all seasons in Fantasy Points Data history and was more than double Cooper Kupp’s rate. In nine healthy, non-ejection games he averaged 10.7 targets, a 44.6% first-read share, and 104.9 receiving yards per game—numbers that would have led the league in 2024. After handling a full 17-game rookie workload despite college durability concerns, Heath views him as a top-5 overall fantasy pick who is still slipping to the back half of round one on Underdog.

Pat Mayo highlighted Puka Nacua at 20-1 for OPOY, noting that with Cooper Kupp gone and only Davante Adams drawing true defensive attention, Nacua could flirt with league-leading volume. Mayo pointed to Nacua’s rookie-year 148 targets—third-most ever for a first-year wideout—and argued a modest 10 % bump puts him in the 160-plus range voters gravitate toward. He added that Matthew Stafford’s 68 % catchable-ball rate to Nacua was already top-six among QB/WR pairings and that Sean McVay’s motion-heavy scheme manufactures YAC opportunities—critical for splash-play highlight reels. Mayo acknowledged Nacua’s physical, “Anthony Davis” playing style scares people but said durability discount is already baked into 20-1; if he logs 16 games on a Rams team that sneaks to 10 wins, the number will be single digits by Thanksgiving.

Jason Moore held Puka Nacua at WR4 and dismissed worries that adding Davante Adams (replacing Cooper Kupp) will hurt volume. Nacua already shared targets with an elite receiver and still trailed only Ja'Marr Chase and Malik Nabers in receptions per game last year. On a points‑per‑game basis he ranked top‑three, and Moore expects the role to remain unchanged. The only negatives he cited were Nacua's college‑to‑pro injury history and Matthew Stafford’s age, but Moore argued those risks are outweighed by Nacua’s dominance at every depth of target entering just his third season. He encouraged drafters not to overthink “anti‑draft‑capital bias” and to treat Nacua as a safe, high‑ceiling first‑round pick in 2025 redraft leagues.