Malik Nabers Injury Update: Giants Rookie WR Says He's 100% and Ready for Week 1 Breakout

Malik Nabers is giving Giants fans—and fantasy football managers—plenty to talk about as the team grinds through 2025 training camp. The second-year wideout has looked every bit like a budding superstar, stacking highlight-reel catches against the first-team defense on a daily basis and emerging as Russell Wilson’s go-to target during 11-on-11 periods. Record-setting rookie season fuels sky-high expectations Nabers isn’t coming out of nowhere. As a 21-year-old rookie he shattered the franchise single-season reception record with 109 catches for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns, while also setting multiple league rookie marks for receptions and yards after contact. Those numbers placed him seventh in the NFL in receiving yards and solidified him as a top-ten receiver in an annual ESPN poll of coaches, scouts and executives. Chemistry with Russell Wilson accelerating New York rebuilt its quarterback room in the offseason, handing the keys to Wilson and adding veteran Jameis Winston plus first-round pick Jaxson Dart. Wilson’s deep-ball touch has meshed instantly with Nabers’ vertical speed; multiple observers clocked the duo for gains of 40-plus yards in three straight padded practices. Coaches say the connection is already ahead of where it was with any QB last year, a scary thought for NFC East defenses. Toe injury appears behind him A lingering toe issue limited Nabers in spring OTAs, but the training staff cleared him for full participation once camp opened. He has taken every first-team rep since Aug. 1 and showed no limitations when planting or exploding off the line, easing concerns for anyone drafting him as a WR1. How Brian Daboll plans to feature him Insiders expect Daboll to move Nabers all over the formation—X, Z and big slot—to create mismatches and force bracket coverage. The staff also installed new RPO looks that free Nabers on quick slants, a staple Wilson rode with D.K. Metcalf in Seattle. Add frequent pre-snap motion, and the Giants believe their star wideout can clear 120 receptions if he stays healthy. Fantasy football and betting angle With the Giants projected to play from behind in several early games (Chiefs, Chargers, Cowboys in Weeks 1-3), Nabers could approach double-digit targets weekly. Sportsbooks have already trimmed his offensive-player-of-the-year odds from +3500 to +2200, and he’s climbing into the late second round of high-stakes fantasy drafts. Key upcoming dates • Preseason finale vs. Jets, Aug. 24 – expected to be Nabers’ lone in-game action before Week 1. • Regular-season opener at Washington, Sept. 7 – first look at the Wilson-Nabers connection that could redefine the Giants’ offense. • MetLife home opener vs. Chiefs, Sept. 21 – marquee matchup against a Super Bowl contender and a national stage for Nabers. Bottom line A healthier offensive line, upgraded quarterback play and Nabers’ own year-two leap form a perfect storm. If camp dominance translates to Sundays, the LSU product could vault himself into legitimate All-Pro consideration while giving the Giants the explosive perimeter threat they’ve lacked since the prime Odell Beckham Jr. era.