There is no real reason to question the talent of Malik Nabers and how it translates to fantasy football, but from his health to his supporting cast, this was always going to be an uncomfortable click in 2026.
Should you be willing to buy stock at a discount, or is it wiser to take “safer” options in the first handful of rounds of your draft?
Should You Draft Malik Nabers in Fantasy Football?
Nabers saw just three targets from Jaxson Dart last year, a reminder of how little of a sample we actually have with this quarterback.
As a rookie, Nabers went for 109 catches, 1,204 yards, and seven touchdowns, finishing as the PPR WR6 at 18.2 points per game, ahead of CeeDee Lamb and Nico Collins. That came in a season where he actually underachieved on deep targets, catching just 17 of 43 targets that traveled 15 or more air yards for two touchdowns.
Who is to say what is possible in a potentially dynamic offense with a QB who is only going to get better with time?
Nabers is the clear alpha in this receiver room. Darius Slayton and Darnell Mooney are established veterans, but they’ve combined for a total of two career seasons with triple-digit targets between them. They can threaten defenses in a very specific way (vertically), but not in a way that I’m worried about the number of opportunities a fully healthy Nabers sees.
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The health question determines this profile. Nabers tore his ACL and meniscus in Week 4 last season, and the recovery hasn’t been clean. He needed a second procedure in May to clean out scar tissue, and the reporting out of New York suggests he could miss at least the first month of the season, with a real chance he opens on the PUP list.
He’s not the only one to watch, either. Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo both missed time last season, and the many shapes this offense might take naturally widen the range of outcomes here, both on a weekly basis and over the full season.
Preseason Fantasy WR Rankings
- Ja’Marr Chase | CIN
- Puka Nacua | LAR
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA
- Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET
- Drake London | ATL
- Justin Jefferson | MIN
- CeeDee Lamb | DAL
- Nico Collins | HOU
- A.J. Brown | NE
- Malik Nabers | NYG
- George Pickens | DAL
- Chris Olave | NO
- Rashee Rice | KC
- Zay Flowers | BAL
- Jaylen Waddle | DEN
- Tee Higgins | CIN
- DeVonta Smith | PHI
- Ladd McConkey | LAC
- Terry McLaurin | WAS
- Emeka Egbuka | TB
- Tetairoa McMillan | CAR
- Garrett Wilson | NYJ
- Jameson Williams | DET
- Christian Watson | GB
- Luther Burden III | CHI
- Rome Odunze | CHI
- Parker Washington | JAX
- Carnell Tate | TEN
- DJ Moore | BUF
- Marvin Harrison Jr. | ARI
- Davante Adams | LAR
- Brian Thomas Jr. | JAX
- Quentin Johnston | LAC
- Mike Evans | SF
- Stefon Diggs | WAS
- Michael Wilson | ARI
- DK Metcalf | PIT
- Jakobi Meyers | JAX
- Josh Downs | IND
- Michael Pittman Jr. | PIT
- Jayden Reed | GB
- Courtland Sutton | DEN
- Wan’Dale Robinson | TEN
- Chris Godwin Jr. | TB
- Alec Pierce | IND
- Makai Lemon | PHI
- Jordan Addison | MIN
- De’Zhaun Stribling | SF
- Khalil Shakir | BUF
- Romeo Doubs | NE
