Puka Nacua vs Ashton Jeanty

“Left practice on Tuesday with groin soreness Rams WR Puka Nacua , who left practice while walking with a trainer, is dealing with minor soreness in his groin, I'm told.”

“He was also 5th in target share (28%), 11th in air yards share (35%), and 4th in yards per route run behind Puka Nacua , Jaxon Smith-Njigba , and Luther Burden III .”

“Fantasy Football Research & Advice Fantasy Football Expert Rankings 2026 Fantasy Football Draft Kit Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer Fantasy Football Draft Strategy: Pick 1.04 Players to Consider at 1.04 Fantasy Football Draft Pick These players will likely be available when you make your selection: Ja’Marr Chase (WR – CIN) Puka Nacua (WR – LAR) Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR – SEA) Christian McCaffrey (RB – SF) It’s fair to assume at least one of Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs will be gone, if not both, as they’re the consensus top two picks.”

“Puka Nacua (WR – LAR) could be a season-defining player if he hits his ceiling. In his healthy games last year he averaged 24.7 PPR points per game, and simply flipping the receiving touchdown gap with a teammate would have pushed that number past 26 points per game, a mark no receiver has hit in a full season dating back to 2013.”

“Perhaps with an improving defense the Rams don’t go quite as pass-heavy this year, but Sean McVay has nearly always been aggressive and while Matthew Stafford is healthy, Nacua deserves to be a top pick.”

“Nacua’s 33% TPRR, 3.71 YPRR, and 0.179 1D/RR all led the NFL and Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the only receiver in the same universe. The fact that Nacua finished as the overall WR1 while running fewer routes than Troy Franklin, Andrei Iosivas , and Elic Ayomanor is astounding, and makes you wonder what he could do if the stars aligned for him to run 550-600 routes in 2026.”

“Having Davante Adams and Puka Nacua has elevated his fantasy value, and the Rams are built to make one more run with Stafford under center.”

“Among all pass catchers, McBride trailed only Puka Nacua in receptions.”

“Not in the chart but still very relevant is that in the 27 instances of guys finishing top 24 yet running under 80% of their team’s routes, we have 4 seasons of Mike McDaniel WRs, and two seasons of Puka Nacua’s insane efficiency to take into consideration.”

“Round 1: Puka Nacua (WR – LAR) The counter-pick was Puka Nacua , ranked as the top overall wide receiver ahead of the field’s other top options. Only two players outscored him in fantasy points per game last year, and neither was one of the running backs typically drafted with the first or second overall pick.”

“Rams WR Puka Nacua came in as the fourth-best receiver in the same poll: “Strong hands, contact balance, ability to block in the run game, run after the catch, run through the catch, can go get it, can play any spot,” an NFL coordinator said.”

“Off the field, Puka Nacua hasn’t had a great offseason, and the Rams seem to be slightly hesitant to extend him, with reports suggesting that’s not in their immediate plans despite Nacua being extension-eligible and watching Jaxon Smith-Njigba reset the market.”

“I was not burned on Ashton Jeanty last season as BEAST DOME ranked him lower than any site last season, but he was so awful last year I could not imagine spending a 1st or 2nd Round pick on a guy who played like an RB3 at best in 2025.”

“I nearly clicked Zay Flowers with my second pick, and probably should have because he is in line for a huge 2026, but I instead grabbed my first running back in Ashton Jeanty, who should benefit from an upgraded offensive line and an offense-minded head coach in Klint Kubiak.”

“Ashton Jeanty (RB – LV) I could not have been more hyped for Ashton Jeanty heading into the 2025 season”

“With Klint Kubiak in town, Fernando Mendoza or Kirk Cousins at the helm, a healthy Brock Bowers , and improved blocking up front, Jeanty could be poised to post a strong RB1 season in his second season.”

“Ashton Jeanty had 100% of the backfield rushes from inside of the 5-yard line as a rookie, but he only had 9 rushes from that area of the field.”

“Ashton Jeanty will be seen as a disappointment for fantasy managers exiting his rookie season. It wasn’t a failure, but you can make the argument that, because of his talent and the hype, it didn’t live up to lofty expectations. Jeanty was the RB15 in fantasy points per game, finishing with 321 touches and 1,321 total yards.”

“Ashton Jeanty is entering his sophomore season with an improved situation. First and foremost, the Raiders hired Klint Kubiak as head coach, giving them one of the best play-callers in the NFL.”

“Last season, Jeanty was fifth in snap share at running back and first in backfield opportunity shares. If this usage continues, all we need is for the offense to take a step forward to have a huge season.”

“He now has a new head coach in Klint Kubiak, one of the rising offensive minds in the NFL. More importantly, the Raiders also bolstered the offensive line by adding All-Pro Tyler Linderbaum (BAL). If Jeanty was able to produce average numbers in a dysfunctional offense, he should be capable of producing above-average numbers in a functional one.”

“Ashton Jeanty may be the player I'm most excited to see on the field again. Jeanty was a can't-miss prospect who had a tumultuous first season. Despite the circumstances, Jeanty still finished as a high-end RB2, averaging 14 FPPG.”

“Ashton Jeanty will be seen as a disappointment for fantasy managers exiting his rookie season. The ecosystem surrounding Jeanty stunk. The Raiders were 31st in red zone scoring attempts per game and 30th in yards per play.”

“Last season, Ashton Jeanty eventually finished as the RB12, but he started slowly and, after the first three weeks, was the RB33.”