Why Rams WR Puka Nacua Will Dominate The Arizona Cardinals In Week 18
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Puka Nacua and the Los Angeles Rams will take on the Arizona Cardinals in Week 18, closing out the regular season. Though the Rams have already clinched a spot in the playoffs, the club has plenty to play for on Sunday evening.
Some may expect the team to rest Nacua, considering the injuries he’s dealt with during the season, but the Rams will look to improve their playoff seeding with a win over a lowly Cardinals squad. The star wideout will look to help Los Angeles bounce back from a recent two-game skid that featured losses to the Seattle Seahawks and the Atlanta Falcons.
Such a losing streak cost the Rams their shot at the NFC West title, as the club slipped to the sixth seed in conference. Following the San Francisco 49ers’ loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, Los Angeles can jump to the fifth seed with a win over Arizona, which could mean a more favorable matchup for Sean McVay’s team.
The offense will look for Nacua to continue his streak of production, coming into Week 18 as the NFL’s second-leading receiver in terms of yardage. The star wideout is slated to emerge as one of the week’s top fantasy contributors, offering immense value among DFS lineups for this week’s slate.
Nacua has dominated opposing secondaries throughout the season, a trend that projects to continue on Sunday afternoon. Here’s why Nacua’s output will persist, leading to a dominant performance against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 18:
Rams WR Puka Nacua Will Dominate The Cardinals In Week 18
The Rams will be without a key contributor in the passing game on Sunday, as veteran wideout Davante Adams is slated to miss his third consecutive game due to a hamstring injury. Adams received a questionable tag on the injury report, but isn’t likely to suit up as the team looks to rest him for the postseason.
Without Adams, Nacua will dominate the target share with expanded volume near the red zone, a role that the veteran has thrived in for much of the season. Adams leads the league in receiving touchdowns (14) so far this season, but Nacua’s recent production leaves reason to believe that he’ll pick up where his counterpart left off.
Over his last four games, Nacua is averaging 9.5 catches for 155.0 receiving yards per game, finding the end zone five times during that stretch. Considering his volume, tied for the league lead in receptions, he’s a near-lock to build on such production in the Rams’ regular-season finale. Fantasy managers can be confident in Nacua’s output in Week 18 with Adams sidelined, in a favorable matchup against the Cardinals.
The star wideout is on pace for yet another All-Pro selection for his efforts this season, entering Week 18 with 119 catches for 1,639 yards and 10 total touchdowns. Matched up against Arizona, he could help lead fantasy managers to significant victories in Week 18.
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Ethen Hutton is a MLB, WNBA, College, and Fantasy contributor at On SI. Previously, he's covered the NBA, WNBA and NFL for Sportskeeda. Hutton is also a passionate fantasy football player and an immense music lover.