Puka Nacua Doubtful for Week 3 — Who Fills the Rams' Target Void?
Nacua looks likely to sit against Denver, but the bigger fantasy question is who inherits his targets alongside Davante Adams.
Fewer mouths to feed means Adams sees a target spike vs Denver.
- Nacua doubtful for Week 3, expected back soon
- Whittington: 13 of 18 targets, 151 yds in two 2024 fill-ins
- Ferguson: 6 of 9 targets, 54 yds vs Giants
- Adams: WR9, 223 PPR pts across 14 games (2025)
- Kinchens doubtful with hamstring; Parkinson questionable
Puka Nacua is doubtful for the Rams' Week 3 matchup with Denver, per Sean McVay, though the good news for fantasy managers is that this looks like a short-term absence rather than a lingering saga. McVay expects Nacua back soon, so this is a one-week hole to plug — not a season-altering blow.
The immediate winner here is Davante Adams, who's already carrying the offense as our WR9 with 223 PPR points across 14 games last season (2025, actual). With Nacua sidelined against a Denver secondary anchored by Patrick Surtain, Adams becomes the clear No. 1 read for Matthew Stafford. That's a start-him-with-confidence situation regardless of the tough matchup.
The Fill-In Candidates
Jordan Whittington came off the injury list and is the logical bet to slide into a starting role opposite Adams. He's done this before — during two 2024 games without both Nacua and Cooper Kupp, Whittington caught 13 of 18 targets for 151 yards. That's real volume, even if his 2025 line (18 catches, 171 yards, 36 PPR points across 17 games, actual) makes him a deep-league dart at best.
Tutu Atwell also shouldered a heavier load in those same 2024 games and is worth monitoring if the Rams spread the ball around. Neither Whittington nor Atwell is a set-it-and-forget-it play, but in 12-team-plus leagues with byes and injuries mounting, Whittington is the more defensible flier of the two.
The sneakier upside sits at tight end. Terrance Ferguson, the second-year TE, drew nine targets against the Giants and turned six into 54 yards. With Colby Parkinson listed as questionable — McVay said he's trending the right way — Ferguson could open as TE1. Parkinson is our TE17 (130 PPR points, 8 TDs across 15 games in 2025, actual) and running +5.7 fantasy points above his season average over his last five, so his status genuinely matters.
What To Do
Start Adams without hesitation and treat Ferguson as a matchup-based streamer if Parkinson can't go. Whittington is a viable one-week add in deeper formats given his fill-in track record, while Atwell stays on the watch list. Don't panic-drop Nacua — a quick return means he's a stash-and-hold, not a cut.
