Training camp should give us a clearer read on Giants WR Malik Nabers’ return to action. But there’s reason to question his readiness, especially with the team offering few useful details. Nabers tore the ACL and meniscus in his right knee last September. Earlier this year, he underwent a scar-tissue cleanup procedure that might have been more significant than the label suggests.
What They’re Saying: Week 1 Sounds Too Optimistic
Vic Troha, doctor of physical therapy, via The 33rd Team’s Check the Mic podcast: “What they found is cartilage that developed, and it’s called a ‘cyclops procedure.’ So this cartilage literally became a ball in the inside of his knee. And they had to go and take it out again. So that really delays him, because not only did he have that, but when you have that around a meniscus, you’re non-weight bearing. So … I don’t know when he’s gonna be able to come back. He’ll be on the PUP list, is my thought. He’s already gonna have about a 25% drop in efficiency from the ACL injury, as a wide receiver. And then you look at it … when somebody gets a cleanup like he did, the good news is he got a cleanup. … The bad news is, when you do that, you’re off again, you restart some of that rehab process. But then you go in and have something like that, a cyclops procedure -- that is detrimental, and I do not see him coming back within the first five or six weeks.”
Another physical therapist -- Fantasy Football PT on YouTube -- also called the Giants’ stated hope for a Week 1 Nabers return “incredibly optimistic.” He adds: “If we account for the meniscus repair and the cyclops lesion delay, a standard realistic projection puts him closer to the 11-month post-op mark (which puts him right around Week 4). However, if we hit the worst-case scenario on that data spectrum, 12.5 months, we are suddenly looking at a Week 8 return. With that being said, I wouldn’t expect the worst-case scenario for an elite athlete and NFL player like Nabers.”
Giants HC John Harbaugh, in mid-July: “Malik will be working his way into practice as camp gets started, one way or another. To what degree, we will find out. … I don’t wanna make any guarantees, but I think you’ll see a lot of those guys this season. Skatt’s further ahead … but Malik is not far behind. He’s in a good place right now.”
What Now?: First Clue Comes At Camp
Everyone’s guessing on Nabers to some degree, including his coach. And this marks the first time I’ve ever heard of a cyclops lesion or procedure, so there’s not much history to lean on for return expectations.
It seems the delay in the return timeline is more significant than the procedure itself in this case.
Our first concrete signal on the team’s expectation for Nabers will be how they handle his status via the physically unable to perform list. The wideout seems a good bet to open camp on the PUP list, but the team can’t activate him from that and then put him on the regular-season PUP list.
So if Nabers comes off the PUP list at some point during training camp, it’ll signal the Giants expect him to be ready to contribute before Week 4. Of course, that still wouldn’t guarantee any such return.
2026 Fantasy Football Impact: ADP Dip Doesn’t Erase Risk
Bottom line: There’s going to be risk in drafting Nabers in 2026.
Some of that risk has been mitigated already by his initial mid-Round 2 best ball ADP declining to early Round 4.
But it’s important to remember the key differences between best ball and lineup-setting formats. Best ball tournament drafters are building out portfolios of rosters. That means taking more chances on the ceiling outcomes. If Nabers crashes vs. draft cost, the typical best ball drafter will be OK with simply losing those entries that selected him too early.
Even at that discount, Nabers is still the No. 18 WR off the board and still going ahead of these Round 4 receivers:
- Tetairoa McMillan
- Garrett Wilson
- Jaylen Waddle
- Luther Burden III
- Terry McLaurin
- Mike Evans
… along with fantasy-starter-level guys from other positions.
And it’s not just a matter of whether Nabers plays. Your worst-case scenario might actually be an active Nabers at some performance level well below his pre-injury results. In that case, you’d likely be wary of sitting him despite not getting the upside you targeted when drafting him.
We’ll keep tracking his status through the summer and updating as needed. For now, we’re docking Nabers three games in his projection, which lands him at WR17 in our PPR rankings.
Dynasty Impact: Short-Term Fear Creates Value
This might be an especially good time to buy Nabers in dynasty.
The knee still doesn’t look like it’ll damage his outlook beyond this season, but all the negative -- or at least uncertain -- news around the injury is bound to impact at least some managers.
Consider making an offer for the third-year wideout, who’s heading into just his age-23 campaign. Our Dynasty Trade Value Charts can help you get started.
