Puka Nacua Is Expected Back in Philadelphia and Davante Adams Managers Need a New Plan
By Verdexed Fantasy Desk
Puka Nacua is on track to return Sunday. Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said Wednesday that he expects his star receiver to play against the Philadelphia Eagles after missing the last two games with a hip and groin injury, and offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase said he expected Nacua to practice fully on Thursday. Nacua was listed as limited on Wednesday, but the tone from the coaching staff has been unmistakably positive.
That is good news for the 1-2 Rams and for anyone who drafted Nacua in the first round. It is more complicated news for the managers who have been riding Davante Adams, who has been one of the best receivers in football over the last two weeks.
The injury and the risk
Nacua's issue is tied to his psoas, the deep hip flexor that connects the lower spine to the thigh. It has bothered him since training camp, and it has sparked speculation that he could eventually need a procedure at some point in 2026. For now, the Rams are managing it rather than shutting him down.
Scheelhaase noted that Nacua twisted to catch a pass thrown behind him in practice, which the coordinator took as a sign that the receiver is moving without restriction. That detail matters. Groin and hip flexor injuries tend to show up on change-of-direction movements, and a receiver who can twist and adjust is closer to normal than one who is merely running straight lines.
The risk is aggravation. A player returning from a soft-tissue issue that has lingered for months carries more re-injury risk than a typical week-to-week case, and the Rams have every incentive to manage his snaps early.
What Adams did without him
Adams has been spectacular as the No. 1 option. Over the last two weeks, he has averaged 11.5 targets, 7.5 catches, 166 receiving yards and a touchdown per game, according to fantasy tracking data. Matthew Stafford has pushed the ball aggressively, ranking near the top of the league in air yards per attempt.
| Player | Role last 2 weeks | Outlook with Nacua back |
|---|---|---|
| Davante Adams | 11.5 tgts, 166 yds per game | Strong WR2, fewer targets |
| Puka Nacua | Inactive | WR1 if healthy, snap risk |
| Matthew Stafford | Aggressive downfield passer | Unchanged, gains a weapon |
Fantasy fallout
Start Nacua if he is active. Even with some risk of a managed snap count, Nacua's target-earning ability is elite. When healthy, he dominates looks in the short and intermediate game, and his volume should come back quickly. Treat him as a WR1 with a slightly lower floor than usual this week, and make sure you have a viable backup plan in case he is a surprise inactive. The Rams play at 1 p.m. ET, so you will know before the late games.
Adams remains a must-start, but adjust expectations. He will not keep averaging 166 yards with Nacua drawing coverage and targets. The more realistic outcome is that Adams returns to a high-end WR2 profile: still the primary red-zone and downfield threat, but with a smaller share of the overall volume. The good news is that Nacua's presence also loosens coverage for Adams, so his efficiency should hold even if his target count drops.
The third receiver loses the most. Whoever filled the secondary role behind Adams over the past two weeks is the clear loser. Those players are now bench depth at best.
Stafford gets a bump. Getting his top two receivers on the field together raises the ceiling of the whole passing offense. He is a borderline QB1 in a matchup that has shown cracks.
The matchup
The Eagles are coming off an ugly 27-7 loss in Chicago in which they managed just 62 second-half yards against a Bears team starting its third-string quarterback. Philadelphia is also playing without tight end Dallas Goedert, who sprained his MCL and is expected to miss multiple weeks, with Zach Ertz elevated to fill the role.
The Rams are not in great shape either. They blew a 16-0 halftime lead in a 30-26 loss to Denver last week, and they enter at 1-2. Both teams badly need this game, which is part of why the market has it priced tightly.
Betting angle
Sportsbooks have the Rams as road favorites of about three points, with a total in the mid-40s depending on the book. Nacua's expected return is largely baked into that number already, since McVay's comments came out midweek.
The prop market is where the opportunity may sit. Adams' receiving yardage line should come down from where it sat last week, and if books shade it too far, the over is worth a look given his efficiency. Conversely, Nacua's first-game-back props may be set on his full-health profile, which creates under value if the Rams limit his snaps.
The Verdexed model take
Verdexed's model incorporates availability, and Nacua's status is exactly the kind of input that moves a game projection. For the model's call on Rams at Eagles, see the weekly picks at /blog/nfl-week-4-picks-2026 and the full board on the NFL predictions page.
What to do in your league
Start Nacua and Adams. Bench the Rams' third receiver. Upgrade Stafford slightly in two-quarterback formats. And if you are in a league that allows it, keep a close eye on the Friday injury report, where a designation other than a clean bill of health would be a reason to lock in a pivot before Sunday morning.