It didn't take long for Puka Nacua to make a name for himself in his rookie season with the Los Angeles Rams last year. As a fifth-round pick out of BYU, Nacua quickly earned an expanded role in a Matthew Stafford-led offense.

Being a top option in a Sean McVay offense has consistently made players valuable options in fantasy football over the years. That sentiment held true for Nacua a season ago when he was setting rookie records at the wide receiver position.

Nacua is entering his sophomore campaign in the NFL, and he isn't an under-the-radar option anymore. Following a spectacular first impression in the league, can Nacua repeat his dominance in fantasy football for the 2024-25 season?

Puka Nacua Fantasy Football Outlook

Nacua's 2023 Recap

From the moment Nacua stepped on the field for the Rams in Week 1, it was clear he was a different late-round pick than most. Nacua hauled in 10 of his 15 targets for 119 yards in a 30-13 road victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Los Angeles' season opener.

With Cooper Kupp missing the first four weeks of the regular season in 2023-24, Nacua was the WR5 during that span in half-PPR formats. By the end of the season, Nacua concluded last year with rookie records in receptions (105) and receiving yards (1,486) while finding the end zone six times.

In terms of fantasy football, Nacua logged the seventh-most fantasy points per game (14.5) and was the WR4 in total points in half-PPR leagues last season. Earning the trust of Stafford and evolving into the No. 1 wideout for the Rams makes Nacua a popular pick in fantasy football entering the upcoming season.

Becoming the Rams' WR1

Over the past few years, Kupp has held the mantle as the Rams' go-to receiving target -- especially with Stafford under center. There seemed to be a changing of the guard with Nacua becoming the WR1 in Los Angeles' passing game a season ago.

Even when Kupp returned in Week 5 -- and was on the field with Nacua through Week 17 -- Nacua led the Rams in target share (27.2%), air yards share (33.4%), and yards per route run (2.54) during that 12-game span, per NextGenStats. Since the end of last season, the Rams haven't added any notable names to their receiver room while Kupp is now 31 years old and has missed 13 games in the last two seasons.

Whenever the Rams faced the Detroit Lions in the Wild Card Round, Nacua continued to be the primary option for Stafford. While Kupp caught five of his nine targets for only 27 yards in the loss to the Lions, Nacua exploded for nine receptions, 181 receiving yards, and a touchdown on 10 targets.

Nothing suggests that Nacua won't maintain his role as the true No. 1 receiver for the Rams when the upcoming season kicks off. While Kupp could provide fantastic value at his current average draft position (ADP), Nacua is on track to have another stellar finish in 2024-25.

Puka Nacua Fantasy Football Projection

With fantasy football drafts taking place right now, Nacua is carrying an ADP of 13.4 and is the 7th wideout selected in half-PPR leagues in FanDuel's best-ball leagues. Ahead of what should be another action-packed season, numberFire's fantasy football projections are right in line with his current ADP.

At the moment, the model predicts Nacua to notch 105.3 receptions, 1,363.2 receiving yards, and 8.3 receiving touchdowns on 166.7 targets for a WR7 finish. FanDuel Sportsbook currently has Nacua's regular season yardage prop set at 1,125.5 -- with the over carrying -112 odds.

Comparatively, Kupp's receiving yards prop is sitting at 925.5. This indicates that the market also views Nacua as the clear No. 1 pass catcher on the Rams moving forward.

Despite McVay and the Rams making a concerted effort to run the ball more last season, a condensed target funnel in Los Angeles' offense should improve Nacua's chances of being a WR1 again in 2024-25.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.