Start Puka Nacua or Ja'Marr Chase? Week 8

Updated Oct 27, 12:11 PM ET. Locks at kickoff, graded after. Week 9 answer posts Tuesday.

Latest

Oct 23, 3:17 PM ET: Rams WR Puka Nacua misses practice, questionable vs. Raiders with calf injury (ESPN)
Oct 22, 6:43 PM ET: Puka Nacua: Listed Questionable (Calf) (Sleeper injury feed)

Start Puka Nacua over Ja'Marr Chase

Start

Puka Nacua

WR · LAR · vs LAC

Market projects: 21.3; recent weeks avg
LAC D vs WR: 30.0; 13th fewest to WRs (2026)
Upside: High; 99 of 100 at WR
Snap share: 85%; Through Week 7
Target share: 32%; Through Week 7

Sit

Ja'Marr Chase

WR · CIN · vs TEN

Market projects: 18.8; recent weeks avg
TEN D vs WR: 35.8; 8th most to WRs (2026)
Upside: High; 98 of 100 at WR
Snap share: 77%; Through Week 7
Target share: 21%; Through Week 7

Should I drop Ja'Marr Chase for Puka Nacua?

Yes, on the rest of the season. Puka Nacua projects 194 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (21.5 a game over 9 games), Ja'Marr Chase 181 (18.1 a game over 10 games). For Week 8 the call starts Puka Nacua over Ja'Marr Chase.

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Our Week 8 call

Start Puka Nacua over Ja'Marr Chase in Week 8.

Market-based projections have Puka Nacua at 21.3 points and Ja'Marr Chase at 18.8, a gap of 2.5. No player market is posted for Puka Nacua this week yet, so his 21.3 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5, 6 and 7 (21.7, 22.5 and 19.7); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. No player market is posted for Ja'Marr Chase this week yet, so his 18.8 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5 and 7 (18.4 and 19.3); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. Drafters take Puka Nacua at ADP 3 and Ja'Marr Chase at 4.

What the market projects

No Week 8 player market is posted for Puka Nacua yet. His market-based projections were 21.7, 22.5 and 19.7 points in Weeks 5, 6 and 7, an average of 21.3, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

The market-based projection for Puka Nacua is 0.8 touchdowns (7 market sources).

No Week 8 player market is posted for Ja'Marr Chase yet. His market-based projections were 18.4 and 19.3 points in Weeks 5 and 7, an average of 18.8, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

The market-based projection for Ja'Marr Chase is 0.7 touchdowns (8 market sources).

That puts Puka Nacua 2.5 points ahead of Ja'Marr Chase on these projections.

Week 8 matchups

Puka Nacua and LAR host LAC on Sunday at 4:05 PM ET.

LAC allowed 30.0 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 6 games, the 13th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 133 yards and 0.8 touchdowns a game against LAC.

Ja'Marr Chase and CIN host TEN on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

TEN allowed 35.8 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 7 games, the 8th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 176 yards and 0.6 touchdowns a game against TEN.

By points allowed to the position, Ja'Marr Chase has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Puka Nacua is not on the injury report.

Ja'Marr Chase is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 8

Through Week 7, Puka Nacua played 85 percent of LAR snaps, drew 32 percent of the targets, earned 40 percent of the air yards and had 17 percent of the red zone chances.

Puka Nacua, Week 4 against PHI: 76 of 84 snaps, 1 carry for 2 yards, 12 targets and 9 catches for 125 yards, 1 touchdown.

Puka Nacua, Week 5 against BUF: 70 of 82 snaps, 2 carries for 9 yards, 24 targets and 17 catches for 138 yards, 1 touchdown.

Puka Nacua, Week 6 against ARI: 52 of 58 snaps, 7 targets and 6 catches for 80 yards.

Puka Nacua, Week 7 against LV: 61 of 72 snaps, 2 carries for 10 yards, 10 targets and 8 catches for 68 yards, 1 touchdown.

Through Week 7, Ja'Marr Chase played 77 percent of CIN snaps, drew 21 percent of the targets, earned 26 percent of the air yards and had 14 percent of the red zone chances.

Ja'Marr Chase, Week 3 against PIT: 57 of 57 snaps, 12 targets and 9 catches for 98 yards, 1 touchdown.

Ja'Marr Chase, Week 4 against JAX: 15 of 76 snaps, 3 targets and 3 catches for 27 yards.

Ja'Marr Chase, Week 5 against MIA: 58 of 65 snaps, 10 targets and 6 catches for 77 yards, 1 touchdown.

Ja'Marr Chase, Week 7 against BAL: 46 of 53 snaps, 7 targets and 5 catches for 62 yards, 1 touchdown.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Puka Nacua played 16 games for LAR and scored 375.0 PPR points, 23.4 a game, finishing WR1.

He caught 129 of 166 targets for 1715 yards and 10 touchdowns, with 16 red zone targets and 1049 air yards.

He was on the field for 68 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, Ja'Marr Chase played 16 games for CIN and scored 313.6 PPR points, 19.6 a game, finishing WR4.

He caught 125 of 185 targets for 1412 yards and 8 touchdowns, with 21 red zone targets and 772 air yards.

He was on the field for 94 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 8 calls

Locks at kickoff, graded after. When the start/sit engine grades week 8, the call and the result appear on the public record, wrong ones included.

Drop or keep

Should I drop Ja'Marr Chase for Puka Nacua?
Yes, on the rest of the season. Puka Nacua projects 194 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (21.5 a game over 9 games), Ja'Marr Chase 181 (18.1 a game over 10 games). For Week 8 the call starts Puka Nacua over Ja'Marr Chase.
Should I drop Puka Nacua for Ja'Marr Chase?
No. Keep Puka Nacua: he projects 194 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (21.5 a game over 9 games), Ja'Marr Chase 181 (18.1 a game over 10 games). For Week 8 the call starts Puka Nacua over Ja'Marr Chase.