The New York Giants have announced that J.J. McCarthy will start Sunday’s Week 7 matchup against the Houston Texans. Acquired from the Vikings just a few weeks ago, the third-year quarterback threw for 243 yards in just over 11 minutes against the Saints in Week 6, picking apart soft coverage and nearly engineering a comeback after replacing Jameis Winston in the fourth quarter. Winston will serve as McCarthy’s backup, with Jake Haener third on the depth chart.
The Giants enter Sunday as 10-point road underdogs with a league-low implied team total of roughly 16 points. However, Houston’s defense has been a pass funnel, allowing the sixth-most passing yards while holding opposing running backs to just 3.4 yards per carry. This doesn’t look like the matchup where John Harbaugh will get his ground game going. Expect McCarthy to air it out, particularly to Malik Nabers and Isaiah Likely, who commanded over 60% of the Giants’ targets in Week 6, combining for 18 receptions and 264 yards. That concentrated volume should keep both players firmly in fantasy starting lineups despite the Giants’ bleak scoring outlook, while the remaining Giants pass catchers can be left on benches.
New York Giants tight end Isaiah Likely's stock continues ...
New York Giants tight end Isaiah Likely caught both of his ...
New York Giants tight end Isaiah Likely could be ready to ...
Isaiah Likely is having a breakout season in his first year with the Giants. He ranks 1st in all of the following categories: target share, targets per route run, air yards, and receiving yards. He ranks 2nd in both points per game and receptions, and 3rd in expected fantasy points per game.
Likely now has 10+ targets in 4 of 6 games this year. He has 57 targets to Malik Nabers 60, but he has 5 touchdowns to Nabers 2. If this production continues he’s going to go down as one of the best picks in fantasy drafts this year.
Dart was hurt on the Giants’ opening drive during Sunday night’s game against the Rams, and after initial reports sounded optimistic he may return later in the year, it appears as though his 2026 season is finished. Despite the disappointing finish, Dart finished his sophomore campaign seventh in true completion percentage (76.5%), ninth in pressured completion percentage (57.1%), and 8th in true passer rating (113.6), all improvements over his 2025 rookie campaign.
For fantasy football managers that are invested in the Giants, it will be the Jameis Winston show for the foreseeable future. Winston struggled in relief, finishing 11-of-27 for 111 yards and an interception. With him under center, Darnell Mooney led the team with 48 receiving yards, while Isaiah Likely paced the offense with 10 targets. Top receiver Malik Nabers also gutted through a shoulder injury after briefly exiting, though he finished with just one catch for one yard.
Jaxson Dart suffered a left knee injury after absorbing a high-low tackle in the first quarter, ending his night with 3-of-5 passing for 20 yards. The second year quarterback exited under his own power before Jameis Winston stepped in. Initial reports suggest Dart suffered an MCL sprain, and while X-Rays were negative, he is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Tuesday and will likely miss multiple weeks.
After the game, Giants beat reporter Connor Hughes said Dart may have to wear a brace on his knee when he returns to the field in 2-4 weeks. Fantasy managers now face a nervous wait-and-see as we stand by for more information regarding Dart’s recovery timeline. Winston will be a must-add in superflex leagues regardless of the precise injury severity.
Ian Rapaport reported on X that young star QB Jaxson Dart has been ruled out to return with a knee injury suffered on MFN vs. the Rams. Dart was sandwiched by two Rams defenders while trying to get a pass off.
Dart was able to walk off the field under his own power and soon went into the locker room with the training staff. For now, it’s Jameis Winston stepping in at QB. While he is considered one of the top backup QB’s in the NFL, it will lower the floor and ceiling of all Giants weapons as long as Dart is out. Fantasy football managers will need to keep an eye on his status, but it initially seems to have avoided a long-term injury.
The Giants have announced that Malik Nabers is officially active for SNF. Nabers tested the knee in pre-game warmups and decided to give it a go tonight.
Those who held out hope of him playing will be rewarded. This will be a boost to the entire Giants offense, especially Jaxson Dart. Nabers was the No. 1 WR in target share in the NFL as a rookie in 2024 on his way to a WR6 finish. He is one of the elite WR’s in the NFL.
