Malik Nabers Latest Injury Updates Shines a Light on His Fantasy Football Expectation

The Giants provide a key injury update on Malik Nabers, showcasing promise in his ACL rehabilitation.

Sep 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The NFL season is fast approaching. OTAs have been going on, and training camp is about one month away. As the clean slate of the 2026 season approaches, due diligence must be done in the world of fantasy football. Who is injured, when will they come back, how good can they be, and much more? Malik Nabers, when healthy, is a top-5 wide receiver in the NFL by most standards. He is trying to return from injury himself, and as of the second week in June, this is where he stands.

Fantasy Football Outlook

Nabers is reportedly going to be playing Week 1 for the Giants. He is being listed at over 70% through his rehab stint, one required given his torn ACL early in the 2025 season. That is good news, but one that requires caution.

We will dive into the deeper logistics of Nabers' injury down the line here, but in fantasy football, we will take reports as reality. The team expects Nabers to be good for Week 1, and it can be assumed that he will be at or near 100% of health.

Nabers enters the 2026 NFL season in a volatile, but good situation overall. Jaxson Dart thrived in Year 1 as the Giants quarterback, and all signs point to Dart being the starter indefinitely. The offensive coordinator of the bunch will be Matt Nagy, who has a vast and successful career coaching up Pat Mahomes and that historic Chiefs offense of the last few years.

The offense being run is a West Coast offense. It will favor Dart, and that will favor Nabers. As the Giants' WR1, Nabers will be undisputed, and the expectation will be that Nabers commands one of the higher target shares in the NFL.

Nabers competes ahead of Darius Slayton, Calvin Austin III, Darnell Mooney, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Malachi Fields. The list is long and wide open for the taking, but nobody will take away from Nabers. He is too good to have his targets limited. It is Nabers' world, and they are all living in it.

Until we actually see this newly coached Giants offense in action, nobody can confirm Nabers will have a 25%, 30%, or even higher target share. However, it only makes sense, and it is to be expected that Nabers will loom large among fantasy football's top wideouts. He should be drafted as a Top-7 wide receiver in the game.

Malik Nabers Latest Injury Update

Per Giants GM Joe Schoen, "I still think he'll be fine for Week 1," regarding Nabers' return. There was a recent scare for Giants fans when reports came out that Nabers underwent a secondary surgery to clean up lingering scar tissue.

A second surgery is certainly of note. Nabers' has not healed to an ideal standard. However, a second surgery is not all that uncommon. He also did so with another 4 months (at the time) until the season started.

Nabers will most certainly not be in action to begin Giants training camp. However, a player of his nature will know the playbook, and when his number is called, he shall be ready. As for now, a keen eye must be kept on Nabers in that Giants practice facility. Plenty of time remains before his production is demanded. We must see when and how well Nabers actually returns to the football field.

In dynasty fantasy football, no caution is demanded all that highly. Nabers can be rostered and used as his upside demands. Worst case, Nabers misses a game or two. Nothing appears drastic at all.