Who Should I Start? Jaxson Dart or Cole Payton

Friday, November 6, 6:45 PM

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (knee) is out for the season after undergoing knee surgery in the aftermath of Week 2. While his 2026 campaign is over, the Giants' progress without him this year is an encouraging sign for his own fantasy football outlook when he returns to action in 2027. The Giants' passing game has held its own with a combination of Jameis Winston and J.J. McCarthy at quarterback, supporting big starts to the year for players like Malik Nabers (48 catches, 605 yards, two touchdowns) and Isaiah Likely (41 catches, 395 yards, five touchdowns). If two backup quarterbacks can support that level of fantasy productivity from their pass-catchers, then Dart should have no trouble racking up completions, passing yards, and touchdowns when he returns. In other words, the passing offense has plenty of weapons that can help him produce as a strong QB1 option. Of course, Dart also comes with his own rushing upside, as he had posted 54 rushing yards on 11 attempts back in Week 1. New York may ask him to run a little less to keep him healthy going forward, but his mobility still suits him incredibly well in fantasy football. He continues to have top-eight appeal at the quarterback position in dynasty fantasy football leagues, even if we won't see him take another snap in 2026.