Jaxson Dart Is Ready To Shine Under Improved Coaching Staff

In need of a change under center, the Giants selected Jaxson Dart with the 25th pick in the 2025 Draft. Hoping he can turn the franchise’s fortune around, his rookie season was a combination of flashy performances and worrisome injuries after he took over the starting job from Russell Wilson. Now the undisputed starter heading into 2026, a new coaching staff has the potential to help Dart vault into being a top 10 fantasy quarterback.

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Rookie Season Ups and Downs

It didn’t take long for the Giants to pull Wilson in favor of Dart. The future of the franchise was given his first start in Week 4 against the Chargers, and he immediately showed why he is such an intriguing fantasy option. Although he finished with a modest 111 passing yards and one passing touchdown, he ran 10 times for 54 yards and another score. In his first three games as a starter, he totaled 167 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns over 30 carries. Across his first seven starts, he had 10 passing touchdowns to go along with seven scores on the ground.

A hefty workload on the ground finally started to catch up with Dart, who often took big hits. He missed two games with a concussion and was in the blue tent being checked for concussions in other games that he ultimately made it through. The question as to whether he could make it through an entire season healthy with his current style of play became a major talking point around his long-term outlook.

From the time Dart took over as the Giants starter in Week 4 to when he suffered his concussion in Week 10, he led all quarterbacks in total fantasy points with 160.4, per the 4for4 Player Stats App. The next two quarterbacks behind him were Drake Maye (146.4) and Patrick Mahomes (145.2). It should be noted that Dart and Maye played seven games during that span, while Mahomes played six.

New Coaching Staff

The Giants went 4-13 last season and finished in last place in the NFC East. That was enough for the team to fire head coach Brian Daboll, who totaled just 13 wins over the last three seasons. The Giants replaced him with John Harbaugh after he was let go by the Ravens. Daboll was a first-time head coach when the Giants originally hired him, but they took a different route when they hired Harbaugh, who is one of the most well-established coaches in the league.

Harbaugh is no stranger to having a mobile quarterback under center. He had been coaching Lamar Jackson, who posted two seasons with at least 1,000 rushing yards during his tenure. Following his rookie season, Jackson has appeared in at least 15 games in four of the last seven seasons. In each of those four, he finished with at least 139 rushing attempts, 821 rushing yards, and four rushing touchdowns.

Expect Dart to continue to run a lot under Harbaugh. However, don’t sleep on his big-play upside in the passing game. Jackson averaged at least 8.0 yards per pass attempt in each of the last three seasons. He also completed a total of 29 passes of at least 40 yards. Dart didn’t have many weapons around him at wide receiver last season, but he still completed 25 passes of at least 20 yards and three of at least 40 yards.

Weapons Around Dart

Dart’s lack of playmakers last season really stood out. The Giants already entered the season thin at wide receiver, then they lost Malik Nabers in Week 4 with ACL and meniscus tears. That means the duo didn’t even play one full game together. Darius Slayton also missed three games after Dart took over as the starter. His best weapon ended up being Wan'Dale Robinson, who had a breakout campaign with 92 receptions for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns.

The biggest question mark around the Giants right now is the status of Nabers. There is some concern that he won’t be ready for the start of the season. Slayton (abdomen) had offseason surgery, but he is expected to be ready to go for training camp. Robinson is no longer in the picture after he departed for the Titans in the offseason.

Behind Nabers and Slayton is a slew of question marks at wide receiver. The Giants added Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III, who are a couple of veterans who could help stabilize their WR3 position. They selected Malachi Fields in the third round of the draft, who comes with big-play upside after averaging at least 14.0 yards per reception in each of his last three seasons in college. The team also made headlines by bringing back Odell Beckham Jr., as well as taking a flier on JuJu Smith-Schuster. However, both players might be facing a numbers crunch in terms of making the final roster.

The most noteworthy addition for Dart is tight end Isaiah Likely, who followed Harbaugh over from the Ravens. While splitting time with Mark Andrews, Likely totaled 12 touchdowns over the last three seasons. Theo Johnson is also in the fold at tight end for the Giants, but he doesn’t have nearly the same pedigree that Andrews does. Johnson also had five drops last year, giving him a total of 10 drops over 117 career targets.

Likely will help Dart, but the key to his passing success could very well hinge on the health of Nabers. The good news is that Dart’s rushing ability leaves him with a high floor in fantasy. That has helped him post an ADP of 87, according to 4for4’s Multi-Site ADP. That puts him 10th among quarterbacks between Dak Prescott (ADP 83) and Trevor Lawrence (88). Dart should not only be locked in as a starting quarterback in 12-team leagues, but he should also be considered a starter in 10-team formats. If Nabers is healthy for most of the season and Dart can avoid his own injury woes, he has top-five quarterback upside.

The Bottom Line

• Jaxson Dart can do a lot of damage with his legs, finishing his rookie season with 86 carries for 487 yards and nine touchdowns.
• Harbaugh has plenty of experience with a quarterback who can run the ball, which should play in Dart’s favor.
• After failing to play a full game with him all last season, the impending return of Nabers would provide Dart with by far the best weapon that he has had at his disposal during his young career. The addition of Likely and his ability to stabilize the tight end position should also provide a boost.
• According to 4for4’s Multi-Site ADP, Dart has an ADP of 87 and is QB10.
• Dart’s rushing prowess leaves him with a high floor and makes him worthy of being a starter in 10- and 12-team leagues. If Nabers returns sooner rather than later, and if Dart can stay healthy himself, he has top-five QB upside.