Derek Anderson To Start Week 9

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce will miss several weeks due to aggravating a heel injury that he had surgically repaired, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday evening.

Pierce, injured in Sunday night’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, is likely to be headed to injured reserve, Rapoport reported, as Pierce intends to rehab and forgo surgery.

Surgery is still a possibility for Pierce, but if all goes well with recovery, he should return midseason.

Related players: Darius Slayton, Josh Downs, Keenan Allen, Tyler Warren, Laquon Treadwell

It was announced Tuesday the team signed Slayton to add some depth to the WR room. Downs and Warren will likely turn into the team's main targets with Pierce out, but between Allen and Slayton one of the two will need to emerge, and that means fantasy value. Downs finished Week 2 with a 7-72-0 line but Allen had just one catch for five yards on five targets. Allen is 34 but is coming off an OK Week 1 where he caught six balls for 32 yards. Slayton is 29 and averaged just over two catches a game last season with the Giants before getting cut. Slayton is worth a gamble if you have the roster room, but it may take him some time to get up to speed. Treadwell did catch three balls for 61 yards, but that's his best stat line since 2021. Between 2022-25, he had just seven catches for 58 yards.

Malik Nabers is headed for an MRI and Brian Burns is headed for a waiting game.

Nabers popped his own dislocated shoulder back into the socket in the first quarter, and Brian Burns suffered a low-ankle sprain in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, bookending the Giants’ nightmare 28-6 loss to the Rams on Monday that included the loss of quarterback Jaxson Dart to a likely sprained MCL.

“I pulled it back in and started feeling a little bit of strength back,” Nabers said. “We were without Jaxson, and I didn’t want to give the team another loss, so I went back in.”

Nabers was injured when he crashed to the ground after an incompletion. In his second game back from a 2025 season-ending torn ACL, he finished with one catch for 1 yard and is “knocking dust off to see what he can do with this new knee,” the story went on to say. It obviously wasn't what fantasy owners were hoping for with Nabers in their lineup. It's at least good news Nabers was able to come back in the game, but he wasn't really a factor. Now the hope is there is no more damage to his shoulder as he tries to work his way back from the knee injury as well. It will be hard to sit Nabers if he's ready to go the next three weeks as the schedule gives the Giants the Titans, Cardinals and the Commanders. Winston struggled coming in on MNF, but we also know he's not afraid to sling it, so there is still some fantasy potential for Nabers if he can get back on the field.

The Giants have gotten some good news, for now, regarding quarterback Jaxson Dart’s knee injury.

Via NFL Network, it’s believed that Dart suffered a sprained MCL.

The assessment is based on a preliminary exam. X-rays were negative, and an MRI will be conducted on Tuesday.

Related players: Jameis Winston

As the story points out, the MCL can heal with rest and rehab, unless the tendon is completely torn, so it's overall good news for the Giants and for Dart fantasy owners. SNY is posting on X the Giants are prepared for a timeline of 2-3, 2-4 weeks for Dart to return. Winston is the team's QB2 and should take over as the starter. Although he didn't look comfortable at times on MNF against the Rams, a full week or practice could cure that. The Giants also have the schedule working in their favor. They host the Titans on Sunday, with the Cardinals next and a visit to the Commanders after that. Winston certainly could have some fantasy QB value going forward.