Fantasy football: Giants drag Malik Nabers status down to the wire hours before kickoff against Dallas

If you drafted Malik Nabers, welcome to the ultimate Week 1 trap. Kickoff against Dallas is just hours away, and the Giants are listing him as "questionable" until three hours before game time, leaving your WR1 spot with zero safety net.

(West Coast time zone rules during the NFL season. Don’t @ me, East Coast.)

Fret not, fantasy football enjoyer.

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New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) catches a pass as Dallas Cowboys cornerback Kaiir Elam (20) defends in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)

Fantasy managers who drafted Malik Nabers around his third-round ADP (27th overall, WR12) faced a major headache heading into Week 1.

After recording 109 catches, 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie before a Week 4 ACL tear ended his 2025 season, Nabers’ status remained uncertain.

Here in the 11th hour, here's how to handle Nabers' status ... like an intrepid genius fantasy football manager destined for fantasy gold.

SEND IT! START MALIK NABERS

A full participant in practice, including contact work, Nabers has made enough progress to give himself a chance to play. Giants Nation host Bobby Skinner reported that "the sentiment is they think he’s going to go, but they won’t really know until three hours before" kickoff, when the Giants planned to put him through a workout.

Nabers also made clear that he would not put his long-term career at risk.

ONLY VIABLE WR FILL-INS

With 33-year-old Odell Beckham Jr. still on the roster but Darius Slayton recently cut, Darnell Mooney and rookie Malachi Fields are the only wide receiver fill-ins worth considering if Malik Nabers sits. Beckham remains a recognizable name, but his age, declining role and uncertain workload make him a real desperation play.

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Forget options like KaVontae Turpin or Jonathan Mingo. Not even going there ...

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) looks on before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at MetLife Stadium on Sept 21, 2025. (Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images)

Mooney provides the steadier target floor as the Giants’ new lead slot option.

But something tells me Fields is also going to have a sneakily great season. By rookie standards, I’m thinking somewhere around five touchdowns and 600-plus yards.

If you have room to add one, grab Mooney for safety or Fields for higher upside.

Source: Trust me.

BUY MORE TIME: MONDAY NIGHT PIVOTS

If you slid Nabers into your FLEX spot, you bought yourself an extra 24 hours of breathing room with Monday night’s Broncos-Chiefs matchup.

If Nabers gets ruled out before kickoff, you can pivot straight into Monday night options.

Look to deep-league upside targets like Denver receiver Marvin Mims Jr. or tight end Greg Dulcich, or lean on Kansas City's Xavier Worthy or tight end Noah Gray.

John Harbaugh poses after a press conference announcing his hiring as the next New York Giants head coach at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Jan. 20, 2026. (Ed Mulholland/Imagn Images)

START HIM BECAUSE IT’S ONLY WEEK 1

This is one of the few times you can say this during the fantasy season: Who cares?

Week 1 randomness rarely dictates your entire year. People already called you crazy for drafting a post-ACL star at his high ADP. Pull up your trousers and start your studs. Godspeed.

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Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela

Alejandro Avila is a longtime writer at OutKick, living in Southern California.