Jaxson Dart Fantasy Overview

A Quick Rise Up the QB Ranks

Dart replaced Russell Wilson as the starter in Week 4.

In 12 starts, the rookie averaged 189.3 yards, 1.25 TDs, and 0.41 INTs. He made a difference on the ground with 40.5 yards and 0.75 TDs per game.

Dart’s rushing fueled a QB7 finish in points per game, including four top-5 weeks and five more top-12 finishes. He landed outside the top-14 only twice, with one of those coming against the league’s toughest defense for fantasy QBs (Minnesota).

A Valuable Rushing Role Emerges

Dart averaged just 28.2 pass attempts per game, though a 13-pass outing against the Vikings dragged that number down. Even so, he wasn’t asked to carry the offense with his arm.

Instead, Dart quickly emerged as a high-volume rusher, ranking third over his starting stretch in scrambles. He also ranked third among QBs in carry share inside the 5-yard line, scoring four of his nine rushing TDs from that range.

There's Work to Do As a Passer

Dart’s passing efficiency wasn’t spectacular. Among 42 QBs with 150+ attempts, he finished:

• 18th in catchable throw rate
• 29th in adjusted completion rate
• 29th in yards per attempt
• 34th in turnover-worthy throw rate

He overcame the underwhelming finishes because of the rushing; Dart ranked fifth in the same sample in fantasy points per dropback. There’s also a reasonable explanation for why Dart didn’t deliver through the air …

His Supporting Cast Stunk

The Giants ranked seventh in offensive plays, but the volume leaned toward the ground game. They finished 23rd in pass rate over expected and 25th in pass rate. The red-zone approach looked similar, with New York ranking 23rd in pass rate and 25th in PROE.

Dart never played a full game with Malik Nabers, who went down in Week 4 with a torn ACL and meniscus. That forced more work onto a thin pass-catching crew of Wan’Dale Robinson, Theo Johnson, and Darius Slayton.

Cam Skattebo’s breakout also got cut short after eight games, further weakening the offense.

A Series of Concussion Scares

Including the preseason, Dart was checked for a concussion five separate times and was formally diagnosed once, costing him Week 11 and Week 12.

Dart’s physical rushing creates fantasy value, but his 2025 hits showed how quickly that style can backfire.

Watch Nabers' Health

Nabers’ knee will be a key summer storyline.

GM Joe Schoen said he thinks the No. 1 WR will be “fine” for the season opener, but the team isn’t treating it like a lock. New HC John Harbaugh struck a similar tone at June minicamp.

"I wasn't less optimistic before," Harbaugh said on June 10. "Like I said, it's a slog, it's a grind… He's probably maybe 70% through. I don't know, something like that, 80% through.”

Keeping Nabers on track for Week 1 is critical, especially after the free-agent loss of Robinson and his 140 targets.

The Giants added Calvin Austin III, Darnell Mooney, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Odell Beckham Jr., and Round 3 rookie Malachi Fields, but there’s no obvious impact player in that group. Austin, at just 5’8 and 162 pounds, managed only 31-372-3 last year in Pittsburgh. Mooney regressed to 32-443-1 after a stronger 2024. JuJu hasn’t topped 400 yards since 2022, and Beckham didn't even play last season.

Maybe the Giants can get useful snaps from Fields, but we came away unimpressed by lackluster college production and a skill set that leans on contested catches.

The Giants return Slayton, but he has never developed into more than a deep threat. Now 29, he’s been held under 600 yards in back-to-back seasons. He also missed the offseason program following core-muscle surgery.

TE at least looks more talent-rich, with Isaiah Likely joining Johnson. Likely’s 2025 numbers took a hit from Lamar Jackson’s injury-plagued season, but his 2024 efficiency showed the upside. That year found Likely ranking (among 36 TEs with 40+ targets):

• fourth in yards after catch per reception
• eighth in yards per route run
• and ninth in yards per catch.

The O-line outlook has improved as well. New York used a Round 1 pick on RT Francis Mauigoa, a massive 6’5, 330-pounder who’ll kick inside to RG. The other four starters return from a unit that ranked 10th in Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade and 11th in ESPN pass-block win rate.

New Play Caller Brings a Shaky Resume

Matt Nagy arrives as John Harbaugh’s OC and play caller after spending the past three seasons with Andy Reid in Kansas City, where he didn’t call plays.

Nagy’s last run in that role came in Chicago from 2018-2021, when his offenses finished 21st, 25th, 22nd, and 30th in passing yards and better than 22nd in scoring only once.

Here’s something else to consider: Nagy gave up play-calling duties on two separate occasions before getting fired after the 2021 season. His resume simply doesn’t give us reason to believe he’ll elevate the passing game.

Paths to Ceiling

Dart could push for top-5 fantasy value because of his rushing. He was on a full-season pace for 690 yards and 12.7 TDs on the ground, both of which would have ranked top-2 among QBs.

Dart will also need better passing efficiency and a healthy season from Nabers to reach the top 5.

Risk Factors

The Giants remain ill-equipped to handle another extended absence from Nabers. The TE group and O-line look improved, but Nagy’s history as a play caller says he’s unlikely to support a high-end season from Dart. The 23-year-old also needs to cut down on the reckless plays that cost him two games last season.

Realistically, Dart’s ceiling is likely capped as a matchup-based QB1.