Who Should I Start? Ja'Marr Chase or Puka Nacua

Thursday, July 17, 8:29 AM

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase told CBS Sports this week that he expects the NFL to see its first 2,000-yard receiving season in the next three years. He continued to say that he thinks it will be either him or Justin Jefferson who accomplishes the feat. That being said, a reverse of fortune in Cincinnati is likely more important to the young receiver as the Bengals have missed the playoffs for two straight seasons. While the team's offense has been elite, the defensive side of the ball has been an issue of late. Chase stated, "The defense is going to have to step up...and make some stops." He went on to say, "That's all we ask them to do." The team added a new defensive coordinator, hiring Al Golden after letting long-time DC Lou Anarumo go following the 2024 season. From a fantasy perspective, Chase remains a locked-in WR1 in any format regardless of the state of the Cincy defense.

Monday, March 24, 7:30 PM

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua said on the "Join The Lobby" podcast that he would like to retire from the NFL at the age of 30. It would mean that the 23-year-old (24 in May) pass-catcher would have six or seven more years of football left in him. After being selected in the fifth round (177th overall) in 2023, Nacua has been lights-out his first two professional seasons with a combined 184 catches on 266 targets for 2,476 yards and nine touchdowns in 28 regular-season starts. Barring an injury, he should be an elite receiver in the NFL for years to come, especially now that Cooper Kupp is no longer in L.A. Nacua did miss five games in the first half of the 2025 campaign due to a knee injury, but on a per-game basis, he was even more productive for fantasy managers. Even with Davante Adams essentially replacing Kupp, Nacua should be a target hog and a strong WR1 target in fantasy drafts.