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WR Puka Nacua LAR (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Faust
- Start date
King of the Jungle
Footballguy
Great player, but one you have to hold your breath with every play.
boilerdave
Footballguy
The 100 yard games every week are great don’t get me wrong but mix in a some TDs please.
King of the Jungle
Footballguy
Had one last week…
Also, am I tripping or did he have one called back to penalty in this game?
King of the Jungle
Footballguy
Missed it if he did. Happy with his 100 yards nearly every week, TDs a bonus when they do come.
boilerdave
Footballguy
Oh yeah. I checked his game logs before I posted but missed that.
VikingFrog
Footballguy
Every time he goes up for a ball, he looks like a crazy spider monkey falling back to the turf.
Almost had a pretty sweet TD catch in the endzone that got a pretty weak defensive PI called on it for grabbing his hip.
Almost had a pretty sweet TD catch in the endzone that got a pretty weak defensive PI called on it for grabbing his hip.
My mistake, wasn’t a td. Just a 21 yard gain.
VikingFrog
Footballguy
He’s a dominant spider monkey out there.
He has been worth the wait on that early season injury.
Owned him in one league and traded Swift for him straight up to a RB needy team after Swift popped off early. Feels like highway robbery.
He has been worth the wait on that early season injury.
Owned him in one league and traded Swift for him straight up to a RB needy team after Swift popped off early. Feels like highway robbery.
FarFromHome
Footballguy
This dude absolutely killed me in do or die game. That is is all. Mahalo
King of the Jungle
Footballguy
Love watching this kid play football, hard to believe he was passed over by so many when he came out.
Hot Sauce Guy
Footballguy
Coach said he isn’t playing any starters.
Coaches say a lot of things, sure; but he also named a bunch of scrubs he said he wanted to see more of to evaluate.
Unlikely any starters play with nothing to play for.
eighsse2
Footballguy
I get what you're saying in general, but I don't understand your terminology.
joey
Footballguy
Took me a few tries but he’s saying that Jimmy G’s passes are going to get WRs killed.
pinkstapler
Footballguy
I understand people who want their WR rankings "Elite" tier to be small for distinction and keep it at just JJ and Chase. But after this season, I think if Puka isn't getting put in there with them, he's the first WR in the next tier down. Not only did he verify what he did his rookie year is real, he improved on it. He's elite against zone, man, and press coverage. 1st in YPRR, 30% target share even with Kupp on the team, 6th in YAC, 75% catch rate, the list goes on and on. His metrics all are either alongside, if not above, JJ and Chase. He's two years + younger than Brown and Lamb. Any league where he isn't considered at least the WR3 overall, I think he's being undervalued and is a buy candidate.
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Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
Looks like NFL Scouts got it wrong again and why he dropped so far in the draft.
- Will struggle to elude NFL press coverage.
- Lacks instant acceleration to gain separation.
- Upright route running makes him easy to cover and redirect.
- Does not have the long speed to keep corners from squatting.
- Occasional issues with focus on downfield targets.
Boston
Footballguy
Translation...he doesn't look the part.
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
Boston
Footballguy
It's an inexact science and it will always be that way.
pinkstapler
Footballguy
To be semi fair to the scouts, he has improved in his numbers against man and press coverage since last season. And he does "look" kinda upright on some of his deep routes. But yeah, swing and a miss for the most part. I still read NFL scouting reports on QBs just because it feels so difficult to get a prediction on that position for dynasty ff; but advanced metrics seem far and away the best predictor for WRs in fantasy anymore. I care much more about YPRR, catch percentage, success rates vs coverages, etc. than scouting reports. Though I will still read Waldman's as I find them pretty informative. Otherwise I just watch the condensed games myself, not that I have any clue what I'm doing haha.
It is wild how good he has become compared to pre-draft write ups and draft capital though. If he stays healthy, it's hard not seeing him as a top 5 WR for the forseeable future. And after this year, I'm not longer worried about what happens post-Stafford. I don't think it will matter much at this point.
crushedspirit
Footballguy
I think he's yet another like Kyren Williams and Bucky Irving who slipped past many due to his supposed lack of speed among other athletic attributes that equate to a lackluster combine performance. Add his injury history and playing for BYU as other reasons. The biggest factor scouts can't account for are the intangibles, which is very unpredictable for the most part.
Puka has also excelled due to being paired with one of the best coaches in the business who knows how to extract the most out of young developing players, especially on offense.
Puka has also excelled due to being paired with one of the best coaches in the business who knows how to extract the most out of young developing players, especially on offense.
eighsse2
Footballguy
Funny. Not super shocking, you don't really have to be a fan of the thing that you're exceptional at. But seems really ironic.
Hot Sauce Guy
Footballguy
Not earth-shattering, but it definitely shortens his dynasty window. He's 23 now, and turns 24 in May.
So there it is - if he sticks to this (and not sure why he wouldn't) that gives FF shareholders a 6 year window with him. And every year closer to his age 29 season he theoretically becomes less valuable as a dynasty asset due to the looming retirement.
It's an interesting situation, and one I can't remember hearing about with a young player before - hard to know how to value him in this context.
On a personal level, FF aside, much respect to the dude for knowing what he wants in life and setting that goal - good for him. He's likely going to retire with generational wealth, and with a bit of luck be healthy & have his faculties.
But it's definitely unique, and IMO dings his value a little in an era where we frequently see WRs play into their early-30s.
It's a long way off, Tyreek said the same thing (of course that was before he had 25 kids), understand not the same but I've had friends say they're going to retire at 45, 50, etc. and haven't done so even though they could prob afford to do so.
eighsse2
Footballguy
It's quite a long time left to change his mind. But yeah, not a big deal to dynasty owners, even if you knew it to be a fact 100%. The only real worry I would have about it is that it expresses that football is not his life, so if he keeps having injuries, he could expedite that goal.
kutta
Footballguy
Yep!
I’ve been saying that for the last 10 years. I’m almost 60 and I’m sure I’ll say it for 5 more.
But I am getting closer to meaning it…
Hot Sauce Guy
Footballguy
The Puka situation sounds different. He doesn’t have 25 kids, he’s a pretty innocent type dude, and he’s still young when he’s saying this.
Found this write up:
Puka Nacua says he'll retire at age 30
Nacua says he'd like to go on top the way his former teammate Aaron Donald did.
www.nbcsports.com
Cited Puka’s concerns about injuries & concussions he’s suffered. He sounds legit concerned about being able to walk and have a functioning brain.
Hot Sauce Guy
Footballguy
See the article I just linked to above.
He’s absolutely concerned about the mounting injuries. If he takes a big concussion or requires a significant surgery, I could absolutely see him accelerating that timeline.
InDitkaWeTrust
Footballguy
How does this affect your aversion to trading him? I have several shares and that kind of talk (along with the consistent, nagging injuries) have me considering moving at least a few.
hooptd
Footballguy
Definitely gets me thinking about moving him in the one league I do have him
Zow
Footballguy
I remember watching the Dolphins Hard Knocks after they drafted Tannehill in the first round. He was clueless as to where teams played, divisions, etc. Matt Moore's head looked like it was about to explode.
Hot Sauce Guy
Footballguy
ngl, makes me feel slightly better about having dealt him in both of the leagues I had him.
rockaction
Footballguy
You guys are forgetting that he hasn't made much money yet. That's still to come in his career. He'll be lucky if he makes it there, to be frank, never mind thirty. He's a fifth-round pick, right? He's going to make four million over the duration of his first contract, which ends in 2026. You've got to pay agents, workout regimen guys, cooks, shoppers, housekeeping, etc. And you're living in Los Angeles or the area. The real estate/rent is staggering and everybody has their hand in your pocket in some way (not with ulterior motives necessarily—people gotta get paid), so he's got a long way to go before retirement, never mind generational wealth.
You guys are seriously considering moving him because he said something about family in his interview and wanting to have a big one? Fellas, you all know your bodies (or should). Guys can have children for a lot longer than females have a working biological clock or are safely fertile. You can begin families at the age of thirty-five if you're male.
Surprised to see this taken so seriously. Guy has six years to go before making good on his word. Tell you guys what, he's going to be lucky (with his playing style and the way McVay deploys him and wants him to block) to get to thirty and still be playing at a high level, never mind have surplus years on top of it.
Y'all shouldn't be thinking in six year-windows, either. This is all very odd.
eta* McVay, not McShay. Must be draft season.
You guys are seriously considering moving him because he said something about family in his interview and wanting to have a big one? Fellas, you all know your bodies (or should). Guys can have children for a lot longer than females have a working biological clock or are safely fertile. You can begin families at the age of thirty-five if you're male.
Surprised to see this taken so seriously. Guy has six years to go before making good on his word. Tell you guys what, he's going to be lucky (with his playing style and the way McVay deploys him and wants him to block) to get to thirty and still be playing at a high level, never mind have surplus years on top of it.
Y'all shouldn't be thinking in six year-windows, either. This is all very odd.
eta* McVay, not McShay. Must be draft season.
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taylormeetstheismann
Footballguy
Yeah. This guy has a ton of talent and a lot of shelf life.
InDitkaWeTrust
Footballguy
And a long injury history accompanied by a playing style that makes him injury prone. I like the guy a TON. He's been a boon to more than a few of my fantasy teams as a 3rd round pick, but hedging bets against injury and discussion of retirement is not some out there conspiracy laced conversation. How many other 24YO NFL players openly talk about retirement? That mindset, which I commend him for as a human being, is not the mindset you want to hear from your #1 fantasy WR.
rockaction
Footballguy
I don't think the guy you quoted really quoted me and understood what I was saying. I was sort of far afield from what he was saying and was saying the exact opposite (for the most part). There are a few things I was getting at. Maybe a list is better:
1) There's no guarantee he will hit thirty with or without the retirement mentality. Guy could be gung-ho to play until fifty and not make twenty-eight given his style of play and history.
2) But just because he's talking about retirement doesn't mean he'll folllow through. Both the contractual/life situation and biology undercut his reasoning for retirement. Maybe he'll see that, maybe he won't.
3) Y'all shouldn't be looking at six-year windows, really. I mean, play the game how you want, but that's never recommended. Two or three is standard, four or five max. I mean max. But I know how we get swept up in thinking our young guys are going to anchor us and play forever and every game and all that. I get the temptation.
4) That said, I also understand your point about the mindset of talking about retirement from your #1. If Ja'Marr or Brian Thomas or Nico or Ladd McConkey started talking about retirement, I'd do a double take. (See how I managed to roosterbate there without even being prompted?!)
InDitkaWeTrust
Footballguy
Totally agree on all your points. It is VERY EASY to get swept into thinking your young studs will carry you for years, especially if you're rebuilding a terrible orphan. The combination of point 4 and injury history are what give me pause. Will I actively try to get Puka off my roster? Doubtful. He's just too valuable an asset right now to unload without getting a ton of young value for him.
eighsse2
Footballguy
I get this and pretty much agree with it. But I think it's also a probability thing, so if you wanted to be super precise in valuation, you'd have to include a small probability of points scored 5, 6, 7, 8 years out, or whatever. It's just that each year farther out has significantly less probability so it's probably almost moot going out that far. But especially with a rookie or sophomore guy, there is some probability that he has 8+ years of quality fantasy production. There is also some probability that his career ends tomorrow. All of that should be factored in. If -- if -- we knew factually 100%, Puka will not play past 30, it would be a very small ding, but a ding, to his value.
Not going to claim to know what those probability numbers actually are. But very low when going out something like 8 years, is all I know.
