Davante Adams Needs Hamstring Surgery and Will Miss 6 to 10 Weeks as the 2-4 Rams Also Lose Poona Ford, Kobie Turner and Another Kicker

The Los Angeles Rams lost more than a game to Arizona on Sunday. Sean McVay announced Monday that Davante Adams ruptured his semitendinosus, one of the hamstring muscles, late in the 18-16 loss to the Cardinals and will miss 6 to 10 weeks after a procedure to repair it. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that Dr. Neal ElAttrache will perform the surgery.

Adams was only one of several significant losses. Nose tackle Poona Ford is out for the season with a ruptured triceps, defensive tackle Kobie Turner is headed to injured reserve with a groin injury and an estimated 4 to 6 week recovery, and kicker Blake Grupe tore the ACL in his right knee while trying to make a tackle on the opening kickoff. The Rams placed Grupe on injured reserve Monday, a week after signing him to replace Harrison Mevis.

The Injury Picture

The Rams' injury list is now long enough to change how the team plays on both sides of the ball. Here is where every notable name stands after McVay's Monday update.

Some outlets initially listed Ford's injury as a biceps tear, but the Rams' own update describes it as a ruptured triceps. Either way, the outcome is the same: Los Angeles loses its starting nose tackle and one of its best interior rushers in the same afternoon, with Garrett still not back from his September knee surgery.

How Long Adams Is Really Out

The range matters more than usual here. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the hope is for Adams to return around the Rams' Week 11 bye or shortly after it, which is the front end of McVay's window. The back end of 10 weeks would keep him out until roughly the Christmas Day game at Seattle. How he responds to the procedure will decide which end he lands on.

Before the injury, Adams had 30 catches for 480 yards and four touchdowns in six games. He was the reliable second option alongside Puka Nacua, and the Rams' offense has leaned on the pair heavily during a 2-4 start that includes three losses in the last four games. McVay said the team could look for another receiver but had not made a decision, which puts Los Angeles on the list of possible buyers before the trade deadline.

Fantasy Fallout

Puka Nacua gets more volume, but not automatically a better week-to-week outcome. When Adams missed three games at the end of last season, Nacua averaged 12.3 targets on a 29.1% share, according to analysis from fantasy outlets. That kind of usage makes him a must-start every week. The caveat is that defenses no longer have to split attention between two established receivers, so efficiency could dip even as targets climb.

Kyren Williams should see more work as the offense compensates. McVay said he spoke with Williams after the back's emotional postgame comments and that Williams meant no criticism of teammates. Williams remains the clear lead back and a weekly RB2 with upside in this offense.

Jordan Whittington and Konata Mumpfield are the receivers in line for more snaps, and tight ends Colby Parkinson and Tyler Higbee could also absorb some short-area targets. None is a must-add in shallow leagues, but Whittington is worth a speculative claim in deeper formats until the Rams either trade for a receiver or settle on a rotation.

Davante Adams is droppable in leagues without an IR slot. In leagues with IR, he is a stash for fantasy playoff weeks, though managers should not count on more than a handful of games from him.

The Kicker Problem

The kicking situation has become its own storyline. Mevis was released after a missed field goal and a blocked attempt in the Week 5 overtime loss to Buffalo, and Grupe lasted one game before his injury. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported the Rams were working out veterans Brandon McManus and Matt Prater on Tuesday, and McVay said he and general manager Les Snead hoped to settle on a replacement within a day or two. Whoever signs will be the Rams' third kicker in three games.

For fantasy, no Rams kicker should be started this week until the team names one and he has a practice week behind him. For bettors, an unsettled kicking situation is a real factor in close games, and Los Angeles has already lost two one-score games in the last two weeks.

The Verdexed Angle

The desk's lean is that the market has been slow to treat the Rams as a team in decline. A 2-4 record with this many injuries, especially on the interior defensive line, is a different team from the one priced as an NFC contender in September. Sunday's trip to Las Vegas becomes a test of how much the market discounts the Rams for missing Adams, Ford and Turner at once.

In futures, the Rams now trail San Francisco by four games in the NFC West, and the 49ers own the head-to-head tiebreaker. That makes a division title a long shot, and any remaining value in Rams playoff markets depends on a deadline move and a healthy return from Garrett. Verdexed's model view on the Rams' Week 7 game is on Verdexed's NFL predictions page, with the full slate in the Week 7 picks.

What's Next

The Rams play at the Raiders on Sunday, Oct. 25, then host the Chargers in Week 8. The first item to watch is the kicker signing, likely before Wednesday's practice. The second is McDuffie, whose status will be decided later in the week and whose return would help a defense suddenly short on proven starters.

The bigger question is whether Snead and McVay use the next three weeks before the deadline to add a receiver. Any addition would cut into the projected target boost for Nacua and the depth receivers, so managers should treat the current Rams receiver pecking order as provisional until the Nov. 10 deadline passes.