With Nabers beginning training camp on time, Fantasy managers should be willing to draft the speedy superstar with an early-round pick as a must-starter. Nabers is coming back from a torn right ACL and a full meniscus repair, the kind of injuries players slog through 12 months of rehab and recovery before being "back to normal." However, Nabers looked mostly like his old self in late July, which could mean he may bounce back to the 18.2 PPR points per game he averaged as a rookie (11 in non-PPR). Some things to keep in mind: Nabers is in a new offense that figures to be a little more focused on running the ball. His playcaller, ex-Chiefs offensive coordinator and Bears head coach Matt Nagy, doesn't have a sterling track record. And he hasn't had a lot of work with young Giants QB Jaxson Dart, which honestly might be the least of our worries since Dart was solid as a passer without Nabers in 2025. Hype around Nabers could push him into early Round 2 if he suffers zero setbacks through the preseason, but until then expect him to get taken between 20th and 35th overall in redraft.
Giants' Malik Nabers: Sitting out joint practices this week
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Head coach John Harbaugh said that Nabers (knee) won't participate in the Giants' joint practices with the Dolphins this week, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.
The news doesn't come as a major surprise, as Harbaugh previously indicated that Nabers first needed to take contact in a more controlled team practice session rather than in a joint practice, where the reps more closely mimic the ones a player would handle during a game. Nabers made his return to team drills Monday, but the Giants appear content to let him build up his workload with a red no-contact jersey until at least next week, at which point he could absorb contact for the first time since tearing the ACL and meniscus in his right knee last October. While Nabers remains unlikely to see any preseason action, he still appears on pace to be ready for the Giants' Week 1 game against the Cowboys.
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Giants' Malik Nabers: Needs to take contact before game action
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Giants head coach John Harbaugh said after Tuesday's practice that Nabers (knee) will need to take contact before getting cleared to play Week 1 against the Cowboys, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports. "He won't go through the rest of the summer in a red [no-contact] jersey," Harbaugh said. "He's going to have to get bumped around and hit and fronted up. You just have to feel that and know how to deal with it to protect yourself."
Nabers cleared a major hurdle in his recovery from a torn ACL by taking part in team portions of practice Monday and Tuesday, though he donned the red jersey on both days. Harbaugh noted that Nabers responded well to increasing his overall number of reps from Monday to Tuesday, and the third-year wideout should see his workload gradually increase as the start of the regular season draws closer. The Giants are unlikely to clear Nabers to play in either of their final two preseason games, but assuming he ditches the no-contact jersey at some point during Week 1 prep (or before then), he's expected to be available for the regular-season opener.
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Giants' Malik Nabers: Works in team drills for first time
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Nabers (knee) logged reps in 11-on-11 drills while donning a red non-contact jersey during Monday's practice, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.
Previously, Nabers' hadn't worked in full-speed live team drills, but he expanded his workload to that context Monday for the first time since tearing the ACL in his right knee Week 4 of last season. It's a another step in the right direction for Nabers, but he presumably will need to stack days with 11-on-11 drills and also ditch the non-contact jersey before the Giants will consider allowing him to suit up in games.
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Giants' Malik Nabers: Not suited up for exhibition opener
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Nabers (knee) isn't in uniform for Saturday's preseason opener against Minnesota, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.
The Giants seemingly will play a lot of starters for the first exhibition under a new coaching staff. Nabers, of course, won't be one of them, having just recently taken some reps in team drills while wearing a non-contact jersey. He's making a bid to play Week 1, but it'll be hard to manage even a cameo this preseason when the games are already starting and he hasn't been cleared for contact. With JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee) and Jalin Hyatt (ankle) also unavailable Saturday, the Giants could take an extended look at young receivers like Malachi Fields and Dalen Cambre -- the only two WRs on the roster besides Nabers who are still on their rookie contracts.
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Giants' Malik Nabers: Takes team reps in Thursday's light practice
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Nabers (knee) wore a red non-contact jersey during team drills at Thursday's practice, which didn't feature any live periods, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.
The Giants held a light practice Thursday, so Nabers didn't get the opportunity to run through any reps at full speed, and the wide receiver later moved to a side field to work on releases against trainers. Nonetheless, head coach John Harbaugh referred to Nabers' participation Thursday as "a milestone for our team," per Tom Rock of Newsday Sports. Harbaugh also said Thursday that Nabers will be ready to face defenders at full speed "soon," per Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. Nabers will presumably sit out Saturday's preseason opener against the Vikings.
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Giants' Malik Nabers: Likely to join team drills soon
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Coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday that Nabers (knee) may mix into team drills as early as next week, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports.
According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, Nabers saw limited involvement in Wednesday's practice, but Harbaugh quelled any fears of a setback with his comments after the session. Nabers has missed just one practice so far in training camp, mostly being contained to individual drills and work on the side as he closes in on completing his recovery from the ACL and meniscus tears that he suffered in his right knee Week 4 of last season. Assuming he fares well once he rejoins team drills, he would put himself in a good position to be available Week 1 versus the Cowboys.
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Giants' Malik Nabers: Rejoins team drills
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Nabers (knee) participated in team drills at Thursday's practice, Patricia Traina of SI.com reports.
This news needs to be taken with a grain of salt considering it was more of a walkthrough than a full-fledged practice, but Nabers continues to make progress in the later stages of his rehab from last season's ACL and meniscus tears in his right knee that he suffered Week 4. It remains to be seen if the Giants will clear him for preseason action, but he does seem to be on pace for a return early in the 2026 campaign, perhaps as early as Week 1 against the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.
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Giants' Malik Nabers: Feeling 'great' at practice
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Nabers (knee) said Thursday that he "felt great" after practicing Wednesday for the first time since having his torn ACL surgically repaired in October, Matt Citak of the Giants' official site reports.
Nabers hasn't been cleared to fully practice with his teammates, but the 2024 first-round pick has been taking part in individual drills at training camp. The star wideout told reporters Thursday that he feels good but doesn't have any "target dates" regarding his return, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. The Giants will kick off their regular season Sept. 13 on Sunday Night Football against the Cowboys.
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Giants' Malik Nabers: Will be eased in
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Though Nabers (knee) was not among the Giants placed on the active/PUP list Thursday, the team is expected to bring the wideout along slowly, Jordan Raanan of ESPN reports.
Nabers and the team's other veteran players are slated to report to training camp Tuesday, but Raanan notes that doesn't necessarily mean the wideout -- who initially underwent surgery Oct. 28 to address ACL and meniscus tears in his right knee and subsequently underwent a clean-up procedure this spring -- will be practicing immediately. In any case, assuming he remains off the active/PUP list, as expected, added context regarding Nabers' status will arrive once the Giants, who are hopeful he'll be ready for Week 1, re-take the practice field next week.
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Giants' Malik Nabers: Avoids PUP list placement
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Nabers (knee) was not among the Giants placed on the active/PUP list Thursday, Dan Salomone of the team's official site reports.
As Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com notes, that's a good sign for the wideout, who is working his way back from a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee, but it remains to be seen what Nabers is able to do once practices start. While there's no timetable at this stage for when he'll work fully, the Giants continue to hope that Nabers will be available for Week 1 action.
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Giants' Malik Nabers: Should avoid reserve/PUP list
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Nabers (knee) is expected to avoid opening the regular season on the reserve/PUP list, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.
All eyes will be on Nabers and his participation level when training camp opens for the Giants, as he's continuing to work his way back from a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee. The injury occurred in Week 4 of last season, and Nabers had surgery in late October before needing a clean-up procedure this spring. There's a chance he begins camp on the active/PUP list, but it sounds like the star wideout could be ready for the Week 1 opener against Dallas.
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Giants' Malik Nabers: Making progress, per coach
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Nabers (knee) is expected to work his "way into practice as [training] camp gets started in one way or another," according to coach John Harbaugh, NFL.com reports.
Per Harbaugh, both Nabers and RB Cam Skattebo (ankle) are each on schedule and doing better each day as they recover from season-ending injuries. Of the two, Skattebo is further ahead than Nabers "based on the type of injury," but Harbaugh notes the the wideout isn't "far behind. He's in a good place right now." Nabers, who initially underwent surgery Oct. 28 to address ACL and meniscus tears in his right knee, subsequently underwent a clean-up procedure this spring to remove scar tissue that was causing stiffness. At the time, it was reported that the Giants were hopeful Nabers would be ready for Week 1 action. While Harbaugh's latest comments are encouraging, it's still possible that Nabers opens up training camp on the active/PUP list before eventually being eased back into the mix.
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Giants' Malik Nabers: At 80 percent mark in rehab process
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Giants coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday that he's "very hopeful" Nabers (knee) will "be back soon," estimating that the wideout has completed 70-to-80 percent of his rehab process, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.
It sounds much more optimistic than Harbaugh's quotes from three weeks prior (May 21), when he told reports that Nabers was in the "slog of [his rehab], the grind of it." Harbaugh now estimates that the star wideout is three-fourths of the way through his rehab, which perhaps sounds promising yet still makes Nabers highly unlikely to be ready for the start of training camp. While the Giants have yet to comment on expectations for the regular season, fantasy managers should assume a high level of risk that Nabers isn't ready for Week 1. His injury entailed a a meniscus tear in addition to an ACL tear, and he had a procedure in April to remove scar tissue that formed after the initial surgery (Oct. 28).
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Giants' Malik Nabers: May be ready for training camp
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Giants general manager Joe Schoen said that the team expects Nabers (knee) to be ready for the start of training camp in late July, Evan Barnes of Newsday reports.
Nabers suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee Sept. 28 and underwent surgery in late October. He said after New York's win over the Cowboys in Week 18 that he won't play before he's fully healthy, per Dan Benton of USA Today, refusing to commit to being available for Week 1. Further clarity on Nabers' recovery timeline may not become available until summer, but if if the 2024 first-round pick is able to participate at the beginning of training camp, it will bode well for his chances of being available to kick off 2026. When back to full health, Nabers will be the clear No. 1 target for quarterback Jaxson Dart.
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Giants' Malik Nabers: Surgery completed
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Nabers underwent successful surgery Tuesday to repair a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.
The star wideout sustained the knee injury in a Sept. 28 win over the Chargers, but he had been completing a "prehab" program over the past month before finally going under the knife Tuesday. He's scheduled to be discharged from the hospital Wednesday and will be able to immediately begin what's expected to be an extensive rehab process. Given that he suffered his knee injury early in the season, the 22-year-old is expected to be back to full health by the start of the 2026 campaign.
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Giants' Malik Nabers: Needs surgery for ACL, meniscus
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Nabers will undergo surgery next week to repair a torn ACL and torn meniscus in his right knee, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Nabers tore both his ACL and meniscus during the second quarter of the Giants' Week 4 win over the Chargers. Schefter adds that the time off will allow Nabers to also recover from a partially torn labrum in his shoulder as well as a bout with turf toe, and the 2024 first-round pick is expected to return for the start of training camp in July. Wan'Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton, Jalin Hyatt and tight end Theo Johnson are expected to serve as the primary targets for rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart in Nabers' absence.
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Giants' Malik Nabers: MRI to determine fate
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Nabers is slated for an MRI on his right knee Monday to determine if he indeed suffered a torn ACL during Sunday's game versus the Chargers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
In the process of attempting to haul in a deep pass from rookie QB Jaxson Dart in the second quarter, Nabers grabbed at his right knee and remained on the turf for a spell before being carted off the field. The Giants ruled out Nabers after halftime, and Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported not long afterward that the wide receiver was believed to have suffered an ACL tear. If the diagnosis is confirmed, Nabers will finish his second pro campaign with an 18-271-2 line on 35 targets in three contests.
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Giants' Malik Nabers: Ruled out of Sunday's game
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Coach Brian Daboll said Nabers (knee) won't return to Sunday's contest against the Chargers, James Palmer of The Athletic reports.
While attempting to make a leaping catch down the sideline in the second quarter, Nabers clutched at his knee and stayed on the turf before being carted to the locker room. The nature of the injury hasn't been revealed, but he'll finish Week 4 with two catches (on three targets) for 20 yards.
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Giants' Malik Nabers: Gets carted off field
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Nabers was carted to the locker room due to an apparent right knee injury during Sunday's game against the Chargers, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.
Nabers stayed down on the ground while grabbing at his knee after he attempted to make a leaping grab down the sideline. Considering he needed a cart to leave the field, there's a decent chance his Week 4 is over.
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Giants' Malik Nabers: Cleared to play
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Nabers (shoulder) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Chargers, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.
He's played through one injury or another in nearly every game since entering the NFL, with concussion protocol being the only thing that's actually kept him off the field or limited his snaps so far. Nabers should be busy again this Sunday in Jaxson Dart's first NFL start.
