Malik Nabers Injury Update Is Good News For 1 Giants Fantasy Football Sleeper And Bad News For Jaxson Dart

The New York Giants and fantasy owners both got some bad news today when it comes to wide receiver Malik Nabers. He had to undergo his second procedure of the offseason to remove scar tissue, which was restricting his knee extension. There is now a real possibility that he could miss the first four or five weeks of the season according to a report from ESPN's Jordan Raanan.

BREAKING: Giants WR Malik Nabers, who is still recovering from a knee injury—a torn ACL and lateral meniscus repair—and underwent a secondary surgery to remove scar tissue that was restricting his knee extension, could miss the first 4-5 games of the season.

(via Jordan Raanan) pic.twitter.com/HinNytsP4K
— Football Forever (@fballforeverhq) July 9, 2026

If he does end up landing on the PUP list or missing any games to start the season, which is not confirmed, this is obviously brutal news for fantasy owners and will make when to draft Nabers a much tougher decision. However, it could open the door for some sleepers to step up in the Giants passing attack.

Fantasy Impact

WR Malik Nabers, New York Giants

If Nabers ends up landing on the PUP list, causing him to miss at least the first four games of the season, it does significant damage to his fantasy value. Where his ADP eventually lands will determine whether or not he can be had at a value or should be completely avoided. We are expecting him to be pretty volatile from draft to draft regardless of his ADP, much like we saw with Rashee Rice last season when we were awaiting news on a potential suspension.

However, this isn't a suspension, it's worse. Even when he is ready to come back, we don't know how he will look or how long it will take him to get up to full speed after missing more than a full year of football at that point. If he misses five games then takes a few weeks to get up to speed, he could still be a valuable player down the stretch, but you could also already be out of the playoff race after being without one of your top stars for half the fantasy season.

Proceed with caution and monitor this situation closely. He could sink a lot of fantasy teams, nevertheless, he could also fall to the point where he's a value and a potential league winner late in the season.

WR Darnell Mooney, New York Giants

We are viewing Mooney as the WR2 in New York and the biggest beneficiary of Nabers' absence, should he miss time. If you prefer Darius Slayton, or someone else emerges, this can apply to them as well. However, someone is going to have to step up as the top target on the outside for Jaxson Dart. You will still probably be able to get them very late in drafts, and they could help keep you afloat early in the season.

QB Jaxson Dart, New York Giants

This is obviously bad news for Dart. He could lose some of the hype that has built up behind him if he is going to be without Nabers for an extended stretch. However, he could also become a strong buy-low candidate if he struggles early and Nabers' return is imminent.

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