The Giants’ season hasn’t had many positive notes, but the play of rookie draft picks Malik Nabers ($6,900) and Tyrone Tracy Jr. ($5,800) has been one good sign for New York going forward. Unfortunately for Giants fans and his fantasy owners, Nabers might not be able to suit up for the Giants in Week 14 against the Saints. If Nabers is out, Wan’Dale Robinson ($4,800) and Darius Slayton ($4,300) would both get more work and enter the conversation as fantasy football options.
Here’s a look at what we know:
The Latest on Malik Nabers
If you didn’t know about Nabers’ injury, don’t worry–no one did. It’s a new one. He got an MRI on Friday but his status for Sunday’s game is still yet to be determined.
Malik Nabers will not practice today and has a hip flexor. A new injury #Giants. Brian Daboll not sure about Sunday. Nabers is not ruled out at this time
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) December 6, 2024
Nabers has been solid overall this year, averaging 17.3 fantasy points per game in his 10 contests, producing 74.0 yards per game and a total of three touchdowns. He started the year with three touchdowns in his first three games but hasn’t found the end zone since.
He has dealt with injuries, most notably a concussion and a groin injury, and has also had to overcome a change at quarterback with Daniel Jones being benched and released and replaced by Tommy DeVito ($4,200) then Drew Lock ($4,700). Through it all, Nabers has gotten plenty of targets with at least eight targets in every game since Week 1 and an average of 11.6 targets per contest.
Last week with Lock, he hauled in eight passes for 69 yards and 15.3 fantasy points in his team’s Thanksgiving Day loss to the Cowboys. If he plays at full strength, his workload makes him a strong WR2 with WR1 upside, but his new injury makes him much higher risk.
Wan’Dale Robinson’s potential
Robinson has been very busy as well for much of the season. He had at least eight targets in six of the first seven games of the season, but he has seen a sharp decline in the last few weeks. With Lock, he only had two targets and two catches for six yards and 2.6 fantasy points against the Cowboys.
He did have five catches in three of his last four games before that downer, with 30, 51, and 47 yards in those three games. His typical routes are close to the line of scrimmage, but if Nabers is out, he can make up for his lack of downfield threat with volume.
Robinson is very affordable at only $4,800 in DFS contests like the NFL $2.5M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st] and will have a very high ceiling if Nabers sits. He could be a solid scoop and start from the waiver wire as well if the six bye weeks have you stretched thin at the position.
Darius Slayton as a flier play?
When Nabers was out earlier this year for two games, it was Slayton who had 11 targets in each game, posted 29.2 fantasy points against the Seahawks and 11.7 fantasy points against the Bengals.
Now, it’s worth remembering that was a different QB, his friend Daniel Jones instead of Drew Lock, but Lock did give him six targets last week compared to just two for Robinson. Slayton only had eight yards, so it wasn’t a huge game with just 2.8 fantasy points, but he does make sense as a fantasy football sleeper if Nabers is out since his price point is just $4,300 in DFS contests.
The bottom line
Keep a close eye out for Nabers’ status this week. Even though the Giants’ offense has been “meh” there could be tons of targets available for Robinson and Slayton to split in a favorable matchup against the Saints. New Orleans’ secondary ranks in the top 10 in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers this season. Oppsing receivers have scored two touchdowns in each of the last two weeks against the Saints with seven touchdowns in the last five weeks.
The Giants are 4.5-point underdogs at home with Robinson at +310 to score a touchdown and Slayton at +280.
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