Pain is a pain. Just ask Malik Nabers.
The Giants sophomore WR had an incredible rookie season, despite the team’s issues at quarterback (we're talking to you, Tommy DeVito). However, the former first-round pick out of LSU missed two games due to a concussion. He was also on the injury report far too often for anybody's taste, dealing with ailments from his head to his toe to his groin.
The toe kept him out of the Giants’ offseason program, and he's also dealt with shoulder and back injuries during the preseason. Will the litany of bumps and bruises be enough to hold him out for Week 1?
Let’s check in on his status leading up to the Giants’ matchup with the Commanders.
🏈 Get started on PrizePicks today to get $50 instantly in Lineups after your first $5 Lineup.
Will Malik Nabers Play in Week 1?
Nabers did not play in the Giants’ final preseason game against the Patriots, but you can't read much into that, as most coaches sit their starters in the final test before the regular season. This continued a trend of the team being cautious with their star wide receiver, although he has appeared in practices recently.
Despite all of his missed time during the summer, not to mention those recent back issue, Nabers is expected to play in Week 1.
According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN, a source described Nabers’ back problem at the time as, “normal camp tightness.”
And Nabers also doesn’t think his back injury will be an issue, calling it a “minor thing”.
Malik Nabers' Fantasy Football Projections For Week 1
Malik Nabers' 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook
Nabers had a 30.5% target share with the Giants last season and was targeted on 31.0% of his routes run. He also accounted for a whopping 41.2% of their air yards. The Louisana native made the most of his opportunities, posting 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and 7 touchdowns.
The Commanders had few answers for the Giants’ star wideout last season. The first time he faced them, he caught 10 of 18 targets for 127 yards and 1 touchdown. In their second meeting, he hauled in 9 of 11 targets for 59 yards.
Nabers posted at least 73 receiving yards in 6 of his 15 games last season. He finished with at least 7 receptions in a game on nine occasions.
Injuries might be the only thing that can hold Nabers back in 2025. The Giants have virtually the same wide receiver room as last year, so Nabers should once again see a ton of targets. However, the Giants have improved at quarterback — Daniel Jones and Tommy DeVito are no longer in the picture, replaced by starter Russell Wilson, and two quality backups in Jameis Winston and first-round pick Jaxson Dart.
Last season Jones and DeVito combined to complete 21 passes of at least 20 yards and two passes of at least 40 yards. Nabers had 16 of the receptions for at least 20 yards and both receptions of at least 40 yards. Wilson is much more prone to throwing the deep ball, completing 40 passes of at least 20 yards and six passes of at least 40 yards. That should be a great combination with Nabers’ big-play upside.
NFL Injury Analysis on PrizePicks Playbook
Now that we know Malik Nabers should be healthy for Week 1, there’s never been a better time to add to the excitement of every NFL moment than with PrizePicks.
There is a wide variety of player stat projections on the NFL board, so you can make NFL predictions however you’d like — with no salary or positional restrictions. Just pick at least two player stat projections to build your Lineup on PrizePicks.
Check out the Playbook throughout the remainder of the NFL season for more analysis for your PrizePicks and NFL DFS Lineups.
