Week 1 of the fantasy football season typically brings high highs and low lows for fantasy football managers. One such low was the injury suffered by Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua on Sunday Night Football. This quickly puts managers in a bind, as they likely took him off the board in the late first or early second round, and his absence can cause a huge issue in the lineup. It also made managers very aware of his backup, Tyler Johnson.

With Week 2 waivers approaching, here's what you need to know about Nacua and Johnson.

Nacua was carted off the field after going down with a right knee injury in the first half and was pretty quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game. The Rams haven't provided any updates yet (this section will be updated when they do), but considering it's the same knee he injured in the preseason, it wouldn't be surprising if the team exercised some caution.

Estimates of any potential missed time are basically pure speculation at this point, and the range being projected is anything from zero to eight-plus games.

So what can fantasy football managers do? Not a whole lot. You're not trading Nacua. Unless he's ruled out for the season you're not releasing him. If you have an IR spot in your league you might be able to stash him there, but basically, it's just a wait-and-see situation right now.

Hopefully this early in the year you still have some decent wide receivers on your bench that you can start in his place, but if not then you'll have to look to the waiver wire.

Nacua's replacement, Tyler Johnson, also suddenly draws attention as one of those potential waiver wire adds.

Tyler Johnson doesn't profile as someone we'd expect to care about in fantasy football this season. He's 26 years old and on his third NFL team in five seasons. He played in a grand total of three games (with a combined 65 offensive snaps) in the last three seasons. But the NFL landscape changes so rapidly that we need to be willing to update our beliefs quickly.

Even with Nacua being healthy enough to play 32% of the Rams' offensive snaps on Sunday night, Johnson suited up for 65%. He may well be an every-down player if Nacua misses any more time.

And these weren't empty snaps for Johnson either. He showed a pretty immediate rapport with Matthew Stafford, hauling in 5 of his 7 targets for 79 yards. That had him tied with Demarcus Robinson for the second-most targets on the team (behind Cooper Kupp).

He may have benefited from the Rams' game plan having accounted for Nacua playing, but considering Johnson's 11.3 yards per target was the most on the team, that's something that may well continue.

Hopefully we'll have a more concrete update on Nacua before waiver claims are finalized for Week 2. If we don't, Johnson will be a strong target anyway. If Nacua sits then Johnson will be a viable starter against the Arizona Cardinals this week, and he has the potential to be a long-term FLEX play throughout the season if Nacua misses any significant time.

Puka Nacua's Injury Update

The Rams haven't provided any specific details on the severity of Nacua's knee injury, but reports suggest it's the same knee he hurt in training camp. It's been suggested that Nacua's status for Week 2, and potentially beyond, is still very much up in the air.

Tyler Johnson's Role

With Nacua's injury, Tyler Johnson has suddenly become a name fantasy managers need to be aware of. Johnson played 65% of the Rams' offensive snaps in Week 1 and showed a good connection with Matthew Stafford, catching five passes for 79 yards. If Nacua is sidelined for an extended period, Johnson could be a valuable fantasy asset, particularly in PPR formats.

Waiver Wire Options

Here are some other wide receivers you can look at on the waiver wire if you need a replacement for Nacua:

• Demarcus Robinson (LAR): Robinson is already a known commodity in the Rams' offense and could see an increased role with Nacua out.
• Jordan Whittington (LAR): Another receiver on the Rams roster who could step into a bigger role.

The Bottom Line

It's still early in the season, so don't panic if Nacua is out for a while. There are plenty of options on the waiver wire, and you can use this time to assess the landscape and see what other players might be available. Just make sure to stay updated on Nacua's status and be ready to pounce if Johnson or another player emerges as a viable replacement.