Puka Nacua Is Practicing Again — Should Fantasy Managers Still Take Him at 1.04?

Puka Nacua is one of the best fantasy wide receivers in football.

That part is not complicated.

The difficult part is deciding how much injury uncertainty you are willing to accept with a top-five overall pick.

Nacua has returned to practice after dealing with a psoas and groin issue, but he missed meaningful time in August and was still being eased back into portions of team work.

At pick 1.04, there is almost no margin for error.

Sean McVay’s Offense Is the Reason the Ceiling Is So High

McVay has historically shown a willingness to funnel targets toward his best receiver.

When the Rams identify a player they trust, they do not hide him.

Nacua has already proven he can handle that type of volume.

He wins underneath, after the catch and in contested situations.

That makes him one of the few receivers in football capable of combining elite target volume with strong efficiency.

The ceiling is league-winning.

The Injury Risk Is About Opportunity Cost

The problem is not that Nacua is expected to miss half the season.

The problem is that managers drafting at 1.04 have alternatives with similar elite ceilings.

If you are choosing between Nacua, Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson, Ja'Marr Chase or another top-tier player, even a small increase in injury risk matters.

At later draft costs, managers can accept more uncertainty.

At the very top of Round 1, durability becomes part of the comparison.

Why the Return to Practice Matters

Nacua returning to the field is obviously positive.

The more important question is how quickly he returns to a fully normal workload.

A player can be active and still be managed.

The Rams have no reason to overwork Nacua in practice before Week 1 if they believe he can be ready on game day.

That makes practice participation useful but not definitive.

Fantasy managers should care more about whether he is running normal routes and moving without restrictions than whether he technically practices.

McVay’s Target Concentration Protects the Floor

This is why I am not fading Nacua aggressively.

If he plays, he should be heavily involved.

Los Angeles does not need him to be at 100 percent athletic explosiveness to create fantasy points.

Volume can carry him.

A receiver seeing double-digit targets can still produce even if the offense avoids a few deep concepts early.

That gives Nacua more protection than a player whose fantasy value depends on explosive plays.

The Best Argument Against 1.04

The argument is simple.

Why accept extra uncertainty when other elite players are healthy?

If Gibbs, Bijan or Chase gives you a similar ceiling with fewer current injury questions, taking them first is reasonable.

That does not make Nacua a bad pick.

It means his current health status matters more because the alternatives are so strong.

My Fantasy Read

I am still comfortable drafting Puka Nacua in the first half of Round 1.

I am not treating 1.04 as automatic.

If I am choosing between Nacua and another elite player with a cleaner health profile, I am willing to move Nacua down one or two spots.

The upside remains enormous because Sean McVay should continue feeding him targets.

But top-five picks are about reducing unnecessary risk.

Nacua belongs in the elite tier.

He just does not have to be the fourth player off every draft board while the injury situation is still being monitored.