Malik Nabers Injury Update: Will Giants WR Play in Week 1?

Following a standout 2024 rookie season, Giants WR Malik Nabers’ 2025 campaign was cut short with a torn ACL in Week 4. The injury occurred on September 28, initially putting Nabers on track to recover before the 2026 season kicks off. 

Week 1 is right around the corner, with New York opening the season on September 13 vs. the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. Is Nabers expected to play in Week 1? 

Below, we’ll break down the latest Malik Nabers injury update and what it could mean for fantasy football and the Giants, including Nabers’ Week 1 projections on PrizePicks.

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Is Malik Nabers Playing in Week 1?

About one month ago, we looked at the latest surrounding Nabers’ injury, and he seemed to be making clear strides. With under two weeks before Week 1, Nabers continues to near a return from injury.

The 2024 Pro Bowler continues to look the part in practice, displaying little trouble with getting in and out of breaks.

Despite his clear progress during individual drills, he’s yet to be medically cleared for a game. That means Nabers did not appear in the preseason, though head coach John Harbaugh sparingly played starters, with QB Jaxson Dart taking 14 snaps during the preseason.

New York continues to leave Nabers’ Week 1 status up in the air, including recent comments from Harbaugh.

On Monday, Nabers discussed looking the part in videos while acknowledging he may not be 100% in every area on the field.

The typical recovery time for a torn ACL is nine to 12 months. Nabers suffered his injury on September 28 during the 2025 season, meaning he’s 11 months removed from the setback. 

New York did not place its star WR on the injured list ahead of roster cuts, which would have entailed a four-game absence minimum. Week 3 marks nearly one year since Nabers tore his ACL, with the Giants clashing with the Titans on September 27.

At worst, he could be in line to miss only two or three games to open the 2026 season. However, Nabers’ clear progress—such as returning to team drills in August—keeps the door open for a Week 1 return.

PrizePicks has a Week 1 projection live, giving Nabers More or Less for 62.5 receiving yards vs. the Cowboys. Over three full appearances last season, he tallied 83.7 receiving yards per game, though a limited role could be ahead if he suits up in Week 1.

Lock in your Malik Nabers picks on PrizePicks for Week 1!

Malik Nabers Fantasy Football Outlook for 2026

Time is ticking for fantasy football drafts, with the NFL season officially kicking off on Wednesday, September 9, as the Patriots vs. Seahawks clash in a Super Bowl LX rematch.

Nabers’ fantasy stock is slightly swayed by his current Week 1 status, though he still carries a promising stock as WR11 and 25th overall in FantasyPros’ latest average draft position (ADP) rankings for PPR drafts.

In the 2024 season, Nabers finished as WR6 with 273.6 fantasy points, while his 18.2 fantasy points per game was the seventh-highest mark among wideouts. Plus, he had a promising start with 14.3 fantasy points per game last season (tied for 12th for WRs).

If Nabers quickly shakes off any rust, he could be primed for repeating his 2024 performance. The 2026 season offers a promising supporting cast, as Jaxson Dart has taken over as a potential franchise QB, paired with Harbaugh as head coach.

Keep in mind Dart took only 3 snaps in back-to-back games over Week 2 and Week 3 last season. His first start with 74 snaps came in Week 4, when Nabers suffered his torn ACL while playing for only 25 snaps.

We’ve yet to see a large sample size of Nabers catching targets from Dart, who earned a strong 0.151 adjusted EPA per play (13th) in the 2025 season, per RBSDM.

Nabers’ primary signal-callers were Daniel Jones and Drew Lock in 2024, and they posted 0.000 (32nd) and -0.076 (38th) adjusted EPA per play among QBs with at least 200 plays. In short, Nabers could greatly benefit from Dart distributing the ball.

Giants TE Isaiah Likely could be Nabers’ main threat for targets, as he was New York’s most-used target during training camp. The G-Men still have a rather weak receiving corps, with WR Darius Slayton and WR Darnell Mooney currently listed as WR2 and WR3 on the unofficial depth chart.

According to PlayerProfiler, Nabers logged an elite 34.9% target share (first) in 2024, followed by a strong 28.2% target share to begin the 2025 campaign. Surpassing a massive 30.0% target share doesn’t feel sticky, but Nabers is still likely on track to finish as one of the NFL’s most-used wideouts.

That’s a strong indication for Nabers’ projections for the 2026 season, including 999.5 receiving yards and 5.5 receiving TDs. He eclipsed both marks with 1,204 receiving yards and 7 receiving TDs during his memorable 2024 rookie season.

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Make 2026 NFL Predictions on PrizePicks

A prominent role in a potentially improved offense could await Malik Nabers when he returns from injury. His status for Week 1 remains up in the air, but Nabers made promising progress throughout training camp, meaning he will likely make his return early in the 2026 season.

The NFL regular season begins on September 9, and users can make NFL predictions for the upcoming 2026 season, such as the Super Bowl winner, divisional winners, and win totals, on PrizePicks Team Picks—available in 36 states!

Stay locked in on Playbook for daily NFL news as the 2026 regular season approaches.