Malik Nabers has grabbed the headlines for the New York Giants from a fantasy football perspective, but he is not the only wide receiver with the potential to have value. Will Daniel Jones and the New York offense be able to make any of Wan’Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton, or Jalin Hyatt fantasy-relevant targets in 2024?
Let’s examine the fantasy outlooks of all four of the Giants WRs to see who could add to our rosters this season.
Malik Nabers Fantasy Outlook and Projections
- PPR Fantasy Points: 238.8 (159.9 non-PPR)
- Receptions: 78.9
- Receiving Yards: 1184.0
- Receiving TDs: 6.6
As is the theme of this season, wide receiver value is inflated while running back value is depressed. Nabers is being drafted as the WR24, No. 52 overall. That does seem a bit low. In my experiences conducting mock drafts, Nabers has never made it out of the fourth round.
I love Nabers and want to draft him. However, his fantasy profile is not nearly as flawless as Marvin Harrison Jr.’s this season.
The opportunity should be there in spades. He steps into a wide receiver room that does not possess a single starter-worthy player. The Giants have a bunch of rotational WR3s and 4s being pushed up the depth chart.
There’s a very real chance Nabers can push a 30% target share as a rookie, and since volume is king, it will be very difficult for Nabers to fail.
On the flip side, what is his ceiling? Talent-wise, he can be a top-five wide receiver. However, that’s probably not in the cards with Daniel Jones — and, eventually, Drew Lock when Jones inevitably gets benched — at quarterback.
Whether you take the shot on Nabers comes down to your fantasy philosophy. Nabers is going above some very established guys. However, they’re mostly players with known ceilings, guys who don’t necessarily have that WR1 upside. The other WRs are safer picks.
Nabers is the unknown. He could certainly flop. We’ve seen what poor quarterback play and offensive situations can do to talented rookies like Drake London, Garrett Wilson, and Jordan Addison (post-Kirk Cousins). He could suffer a similar fate and end up being a middling WR3.
On the other hand, he could see competent QB play, enough to allow his talent to shine through, and exceed his ADP.
I like rookies. I like young players. I like embracing uncertainty. Nabers is my WR22, and I want to draft him if I can.
– Jason Katz, Fantasy Football Analyst
Wan’Dale Robinson Fantasy Outlook and Projections
- PPR Fantasy Points: 130.9 (72.2 non-PPR)
- Receptions: 58.7
- Receiving Yards: 545.4
- Receiving TDs: 1.7
Like the New England Patriots, I’m in no hurry to roster any Giant. There’s a chance, a good one, that Robinson is a regular player and doesn’t matter in our game.
He proved capable of earning looks last season (4.0 catches per game), and that has the potential to matter in PPR leagues. But without much in the way of scoring equity, is he really the type of player you want to plug in during a pinch?
Nabers projects as a top-10 target share earner in the league and figures to see his rate only increase as this team approaches the red zone. Robinson scored once on 78 targets a season ago – I don’t see much reason to expect that to change and with that assumption, I’d rather take a chance on Michael Wilson (easily) or even Marvin Mims Jr.
– Kyle Soppe, Fantasy Football Analyst
Jalin Hyatt Fantasy Outlook and Projections
- PPR Fantasy Points: 107.8 (66.5 non-PPR)
- Receptions: 41.3
- Receiving Yards: 569.1
- Receiving TDs: 1.6
As a third-round rookie last season, Hyatt averaged 16.2 yards per catch, but he earned just 2.4 targets per game, and that’s simply not going to cut it.
We know that Nabers was drafted as an alpha, and like it or not, Slayton always gets his fair share of looks. Add in the slot role of Robinson, and there simply isn’t much meat left on the bone.
If injuries were to iron out this receiver rotation, maybe Hyatt would emerge onto the bye-week filler tier with time, but entering the season, he doesn’t deserve to be on your radar.
– Soppe
Darius Slayton Fantasy Outlook and Projections
- PPR Fantasy Points: 110.4 (71.7 non-PPR)
- Receptions: 38.8
- Receiving Yards: 578.6
- Receiving TDs: 2.6
Slayton has finished atop the New York receiving board in four of the past five seasons, and yet, his fantasy status has been nothing better than a waiver wire asset. After hauling in eight touchdowns as a rookie, he’s scored just 11 times since, and it’s difficult to see that changing in a major way in an offense that is positioned to again struggle, but this time with an alpha WR1 in hand.
Nabers looks like the real deal, but if you want to make a cheap bet against him, spending your last pick on Slayton isn’t a bad idea. He clearly has a connection with Jones, and we should know right away if he’s going to be used in a fantasy-friendly way – New York opens the season with games against the Minnesota Vikings and Washington Commanders.
If you stash him and he performs, great! If not, you can cut ties without having burned much draft capital.
– Soppe