New York Giants Name Jaxson Dart Week 1 Backup Quarterback Behind Russell Wilson

Discover the 2025 fantasy football outlook of the New York Giants' quarterback room.

Aug 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) receives the ball from the snap during the first quarter against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium. | Mark Smith-Imagn Images

Jaxson Dart had an impressive preseason with the New York Giants. In three games, the rookie quarterback threw for 372 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. He also rushed for 52 yards and 1 touchdown. 

Giants’ Week 1 depth chart lists Jaxson Dart as Russell Wilson’s backup, QB2. pic.twitter.com/ljYSMMXhLg

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 2, 2025

On Tuesday afternoon, the Giants named Dart as the Week 1 backup quarterback behind Russell Wilson. Let’s overview the Giants' QB room for the upcoming fantasy football season. 

Fantasy Football Impact

Heading into the preseason, Russell Wilson was the undisputed starting quarterback for the New York Giants. His NFL experience, deep-ball ability, and vocal leadership are the main factors that led to this decision. After ten strong seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, Wilson has found himself on three teams in the last four years. During eleven games in his previous campaign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the veteran QB threw for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. Wilson is currently one of the last quarterbacks taken in fantasy drafts, but he could provide solid value if he can maintain the starting role for the Giants. 

Looking deeper into the roster, there was preseason depth chart uncertainty between rookie Jaxson Dart and veteran Jameis Winston. While Dart put on an impressive performance, Winston managed 219 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, and 1 interception. Throughout his NFL career, Winston has been known for his strong arm and leadership abilities. However, that comes with a high interception rate that has not led to winning football very often. After being named the QB3 for the Giants, Winston has little-to-no current fantasy value. He is unlikely to see the field this year barring quarterback injuries or a trade to another team. 

Jaxson Dart is the fantasy football wild card of this QB room. Coming off a strong season at Ole Miss, the young quarterback was selected by the Giants with the 25th pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Dart brings a physically gifted arm to the field as well as a dual-threat ability. While he might have the most raw talent in the QB room, he lacks the decision-making and NFL experience to be the Week 1 starter. However, the Giants liked his preseason performance enough to reward him with the backup title behind Wilson. Expect Dart to take over under center for the Giants at some point in the 2025 season, and it could come sooner rather than later as he is just one injury or one bad performance away from earning his first NFL start. His arm talent, rushing ability, and connection with young star Malik Nabers will provide Dart with fantasy upside if he can claim the starting role.