Russell Wilson Inks One-Year Deal With New York Giants: Fantasy Football Impact

The New York Giants have bolstered their quarterback room for the second time in a week, securing another veteran presence under center. For a brief moment, fantasy football enthusiasts envisioned a breakout season for second-year wideout Malik Nabers, fueled by the prospect of catching passes from the gunslinging Jameis Winston. However, that scenario now appears unlikely after the Giants inked Russell Wilson to a one-year deal worth up to $21 million on Tuesday.

BREAKING: QB Russell Wilson signing with Giants on 1-year, $10.5M guaranteed deal with a chance to earn $21M.

(via @rapsheet, @tompelissero, @mikegarafolo) pic.twitter.com/jVMotE8Z6H
— NFL (@NFL) March 25, 2025

Russell Wilson Fantasy Football Outlook

With Wilson now in the fold, Winston’s role for the 2025 season becomes increasingly uncertain, and there remains the possibility that the Giants will use their No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft to snag a franchise quarterback. As things stand, Wilson is the presumptive Week 1 starter, with Winston likely settling in as the backup.

From a fantasy perspective, expectations for Wilson should remain tempered. The 36-year-old signal-caller is coming off an uninspiring 2024 campaign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he averaged 17.7 fantasy points per game across 11 regular-season contests. His final stat line included 2,482 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, five interceptions, and an additional 155 rushing yards with two scores.

Wilson eclipsed the 20-point fantasy threshold only three times last season, though he did post a respectable 22 points in Pittsburgh’s playoff loss to Baltimore. He is unlikely to be a viable option in single-quarterback leagues and should be considered no more than a mid-round selection in Superflex and two-quarterback formats.

It is also worth noting that Wilson has failed to surpass 20 fantasy points per game in each of the last three seasons—his final two years in Denver and his lone stint in Pittsburgh—since departing Seattle in 2021. Despite this, his primary responsibility for fantasy managers in 2025 will be to maximize Nabers’ production.

Winston’s aggressive downfield approach would have undoubtedly benefited Nabers, but Wilson has a well-documented history of elevating his top receiving targets. During his tenure in Seattle, he played a key role in the success of DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Doug Baldwin, while also helping Courtland Sutton produce in Denver. Additionally, last season in Pittsburgh, he established a strong early connection with George Pickens, who surpassed 16.4 PPR points in four of his first six games with Wilson under center.

Nabers, coming off an electrifying rookie campaign, posted 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns on 170 targets across 15 games, averaging 17.7 PPR points per contest. Impressively, he accomplished this while catching passes from a carousel of quarterbacks that included Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito, and Tim Boyle.

Both Wilson and Winston represent an upgrade over that group, and if the Giants select a quarterback in the draft, it will be intriguing to see how the depth chart evolves. For now, Nabers should be viewed as a late first-round or early second-round pick in all fantasy formats. The Giants may still look to reinforce their receiving corps through the draft—potentially targeting a dynamic playmaker like Travis Hunter with the third overall pick.

The arrivals of Wilson and Winston provide a boost to Nabers’ outlook for 2025, and their presence should also enhance the fantasy viability of Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton. However, those two remain best suited as late-round dart throws in most leagues.

Russell Wilson Fantasy Football Outlook

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