Darius Slayton Fantasy Football Outlook: Boom-Or-Bust WR Best Left On Waivers

Darius Slayton continues to flash big-play ability, but his inconsistent target share and limited fantasy impact make him a risky option for 2025 rosters.

New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton (86) gestures during warm ups before a game between New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Darius Slayton has shown flashes of fantasy relevance with his deep-threat ability and occasional breakout games, but his target volume continues to disappoint with the New York Giants. After a career-low in receptions and yards despite near-equal playing time, Slayton enters 2025 as a volatile bench stash at best.

Darius Slayton, New York Giants

Due to multiple injuries to other wideouts, Slayton led New York in wide receiver snaps (813) in 2022 while finishing with 46 catches for 724 yards and two touchdowns on 71 targets. His best work came over six games (3/58/1, 5/66, 3/95/1, 5/86, 3/63, and 6/90). His season started with a missed game, followed by one catch for 11 yards over three weeks. Twelve of his catches (26.1%) gained 20 yards or more.

In 2023, Slayton gave New York some stability in the passing game, leading to 50 catches for 770 yards (career-high) and four touchdowns on 79 targets. His opportunity was minimal over the Giants’ first eight games (19/257/0 on 34 targets). He helped the fantasy market in four contests (4/82/1, 3/90/1, 4/106/1, and 5/62/1) over his final six starts. Slayton finished with WR1 snaps for the second consecutive year.

Despite playing only 14 fewer snaps than Malik Nabers, Slayton posted a three-year low in catches (39), receiving yards (573), and targets (70). His only playable outcomes came in Week 5 (8/122/1) and Week 8 (4/108). He scored fewer than 9.00 fantasy points in 13 games.

Darius Slayton 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook

Over the past six seasons, Slayton has delivered many winning moments while averaging fewer than five targets per game. He is a challenging player to time, putting him on the waiver wire until his role is more defined.