Puka Nacua’s Injury Cost Me A Week 1 Victory in 2024
It was a brand new season. The 2024 fantasy football season was finally here, and I was strutting into Week 1 as the reigning champion. My Keeper league title defense was anchored by my prized asset — Los Angeles Rams sensation Puka Nacua, who I had picked up off the waiver wire the previous season. After shattering rookie records in 2023, Nacua was primed to prove the previous year’s fireworks weren’t a fluke. And given my team name — Nacua Matada — there was never a doubt he’d be locked into my WR1 spot.
The Puka Nacua Injury That Still Haunts Me Today
Nacua started the game strong against the Detroit Lions, looking every bit like the fantasy cheat code I had anticipated him being, corralling all four of his targets for 35 receiving yards and even adding seven rushing yards on an end-around. But just as he seemed to be finding his rhythym, disaster struck. A second-quarter injury sidelined him for the rest of what became an overtime shootout. A ton of fantasy points evaporated before my eyes.
In my league’s scoring system, I was left with a modest 8.2 fantasy points from my supposed alpha. Not great from a top-tier player, especially given the fact that I had Indianapolis Colts WR Alec Pierce stashed on my bench. Pierce produced a monster stat line, finishing as the WR10 in Week 1 after tallying three receptions for 125 yards and a trip to the end zone (21.5 fantasy points).
To rub salt in the wound, I ended up losing my matchup by a measly 2.1 points. Even if I hadn’t had the mental fortitude to start Pierce, I would have won my matchup if I started fellow bench warmer Jauan Jennings over Nacua. Jennings didn’t do anything noteworthy but his line of five receptions for 64 receiving yards would have been just enough to capture the Week 1 victory.
Injuries are part of the grind in fantasy football, and normally all you can do is curse your luck, stew for a week, and try to plug the hole until your star returns. But this wasn’t just a Week 1 loss — it was a six-week sentence without my star wideout. A trip to Injured Reserve kept him out for a minimum of the next four contests. Double whammy.
Rams WR Puka Nacua (knee) will be placed on injured reserve, will miss at least four games. pic.twitter.com/gcUyxeTbzJ
— NFL (@NFL) September 9, 2024
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-93d081519425a2ac5afbaba6a5df6de3.jpg "Matt Brandon")
Matt Brandon has spent more than a decade in the fantasy sports and sports media world, with stops at Scout Media, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, DrRoto.com, Fantasy SP, FullTime Fantasy, and several other industry staples. A three-time Top-10 finisher in FantasyPros’ national rankings competition, Brandon has also captured multiple major DFS tournament wins on FanDuel and DraftKings. His true expertise lies in season-long fantasy football and fantasy basketball, along with sports betting analysis. A lifelong New Yorker, he proudly bleeds blue for his Giants, Knicks, Rangers, and Mets. Brandon also covers Major League Baseball, with a particular focus on the Seattle Mariners, San Francisco Giants, and Philadelphia Phillies
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