Malik Nabers' Return To Health Is One Of The Biggest 2026 Fantasy Football Questions
Ian Hartitz examines the New York Giants wide receivers, focusing on the healthy return of Malik Nabers to again be one of the top WRs in fantasy football.
We've relegated ourselves to breaking down how football players are running during charity softball games. That's what the offseason does to some of us, but when the subject is Malik Nabers, there is no such thing as too much scrutiny. Coming off a multi-ligament ACL tear, Nabers' return to health is one of the key storylines of this offseason. When could he be back to carrying our fantasy football squads? Ian Hartitz breaks it down as part of his New York Giants Team Preview.
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What are realistic Year 3 expectations for Malik Nabers?
- WR1: Malik Nabers (WR11 in Fantasy Life ranks)
- WR2: Darnell Mooney (WR78)
- WR3: Malachi Fields (WR89)
- WR4: Darius Slayton (WR121)
- WR5: Calvin Austin
The sixth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft posted an electric rookie campaign, catching 109 of 170 (!) targets for 1,204 yards and 7 touchdowns in just 15 games. Nabers' per-route efficiency in 19 career games is up there with the best wideouts in the league.
Lol, Puka Nacua.
Anyway, Nabers would be in the first-round, top-5 conversation at his position thanks to his talent and 180-plus target upside with a young quarterback we generally believe to be good … if it wasn't for those wretched injury gods.
On Sept. 28, 2025, the MetLife turf claimed another victim, as Nabers suffered a Grade 3 torn ACL and also had meniscus damage. Some of the recent quotes sure don't sound great!
- HC John Harbaugh described the issue as "not a simple knee" injury.
- Harbaugh added, "Just impossible to predict. I mean, the goal is to start the season and get out there sometime in training camp. That'd be the goal, and we'll see what happens."
- ESPN's Jordan Raanan noted, "Harbaugh and the Giants have been less optimistic about Nabers' return in recent months. Originally, they thought he might be ready for the start of training camp. Now, that ship seems to have sailed. They seem to have their fingers crossed about Week 1."
Dr. Jeff Mueller believes Nabers could be active anywhere from Week 1 to Weeks 4-6. Throw in a potential ramp-up period once healthy enough to get active, and it's possible we don't see Nabers really ready to go until the end of October.
It's accordingly tough to be too thrilled about clicking Nabers' name in the early parts of fantasy drafts of most shapes and sizes. He's still the WR10 in Fantasy Life consensus ranks, but personally, I've dropped him to WR15 behind fellow talented options without such a glaring red flag like DeVonta Smith, Chris Olave and Tee Higgins. Nabers lands more so in a tier of guys like Rashee Rice (injury, potential suspension), Garrett Wilson (Jets in general, QB situation), Tetairoa McMillan (QB situation) and Luther Burden (unsure pecking order)—talented players, no doubt, but there is some baggage to worry about.
Also note: My therapist says it's actually a great sign of progress that I've barely thought about drafting Darius Slayton this summer. Maybe this leads to the 29-year-old veteran finally putting it all together, but starting the offseason sidelined with core muscle surgery isn't exactly a great start. … I'm more keen on throwing a LATE-round dart at Darnell Mooney, whose rough 2025 can at least partially, if not heavily, be attributed to a fractured collarbone suffered on the first day of training camp. Mooney was truly #good in 2024 on his way to posting a 64-992-5 receiving line, even outproducing Drake London for extended stretches with Kirk Cousins under center. He's my pick to work as the leader of this underwhelming room while Nabers is sidelined. … Third-rounder Malachi Fields was a fan favorite at the Senior Bowl and deserves credit for making some truly spectacular catches during his lone season in South Bend. And yet, the Fantasy Life Rookie Super Model is NOT a fan, and there are real separation and speed concerns here. The uninspiring depth chart makes Fields a fine-enough LATE-round dart, but it's tough to paint too great a high-end picture here. … I'm a fan of Calvin Austin's game, but his size (5-foot-7, 170 pounds) makes him a likely candidate for more of a WR4/gadget/returner role than anything we should be getting overly excited about in fantasy land.
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