3 wide receivers who could be this year's Puka Nacua for fantasy football

Puka Nacua had one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history last season but that was something that no one would have predicted.
WKU's Malachi Corley runs in for a touchdown against UTEP on Nov. 4, 2023 at the Sun Bowl.
WKU's Malachi Corley runs in for a touchdown against UTEP on Nov. 4, 2023 at the Sun Bowl. / Alberto Silva Fernandez/ El Paso Times /
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Anytime the fantasy football world has a player like Puka Nacua come along, the search is going to be on for the next one. After all, only one player in your league has the chance to have Puka on their roster.

In any NFL draft, there are going to be great players found in the later rounds, those who have flown under the radar and those who just outperform their draft status. Last year, Puka Nacua was drafted in the fifth round out of BYU by the Los Angeles Rams.

There was very little thought given to this pick, even by those players in deep dynasty leagues. Nacua never caught more than 48 passes in a season during his college career. He was going to a Rams team that had Cooper Kupp who not long ago put together one of the best seasons a wide receiver ever had. So, he was an afterthought.

Not anymore. After catching 105 passes for 1,486 yards (both all-time rookie records) and six touchdowns, he is one of the top wide receivers in the league. In fact, he will likely go ahead of Kupp in redraft leagues this summer and in dynasty leagues, he is the much more valuable player. Who would have predicted that?

So, looking at the 2024 NFL draft class, which is loaded at the wide receiver position, who are some prospects who could repeat what Nacua did this coming season?

3 wide receivers who could be this year's Puka Nacua for fantasy football

Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky
Nov 27, 2021; Huntington, West Virginia, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers wide receiver Malachi scores a touchdown against West Virginia. / Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky

Malachi Corley is a great first option for this list because many teams and fantasy football players may immediately scoff at him due to the fact that he played at Western Kentucky in college. But that would be a big mistake.

He stands 5-foot-11 so he will also fall off the draft boards of several teams because he lacks height. But at Western Kentucky, he showed plenty of NFL traits. He caught 101 passes in 2022 and scored 11 touchdowns in each of his final two seasons at the school.

He should go in the middle of this draft, perhaps as early as the third round and if he ends up in the right spot, could be a tremendous addition to your fantasy roster, particularly in dynasty leagues.