Calvin Austin III Fantasy Stats

The New York Giants officially placed wide receiver Calvin Austin III (knee) on season-ending Injured Reserve on Thursday, according to Patricia Traina of Sports Illustrated. Austin will miss the entire 2026 season after tearing the ACL in his right knee during training camp practice on Tuesday. With the 27-year-old now out of the picture in the Big Apple this year, it will help Odell Beckham Jr.'s odds of making the 53-man roster as he competes with Braxton Berrios, Jalin Hyatt, and Isaiah Hodgins in a depth role behind Malik Nabers (knee), Darius Slayton, and Darnell Mooney. Austin was heading into his first year with the G-Men after signing a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the team in March. The former fourth-rounder in 2022 by the Pittsburgh Steelers from Memphis failed to capitalize on his opportunity in Pittsburgh last year, catching just 31 of 55 targets for 372 yards and three touchdowns in 14 regular-season games after going for a career-high 548 yards and four TDs in his second year in 2024. Austin can obviously be ignored in all fantasy formats in 2026.

After leaving Tuesday's practice on a cart, New York Giants wide receiver Calvin Austin III (knee) has been confirmed to have torn his ACL, and he will miss the entirety of the 2026 season. After three years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the 2022 fourth-round pick signed a one-year free agent contract with the Giants and was expected to play a role in replacing the production of Wan'Dale Robinson, who caught at least 92 passes in back-to-back seasons while operating primarily out of the slot. With Pro Bowler Malik Nabers working his way back from the knee injury that ended his 2025 season and on track for a potential Week 1 start, Austin was not a fantasy target to begin with at RotoBaller's WR128, but the brutal news ends any hope of a modest breakout and will likely leave him looking for a new team in 2027 free agency.

New York Giants wide receiver Calvin Austin III was carted off Tuesday after suffering what one source described as a "serious knee injury," according to Adam Schefter. Austin went down during a 1-on-1 period and needed the cart to leave the field. It's a tough development after the 27-year-old had worked his way into a legitimate role during his first summer with New York. Austin started Saturday's preseason game against Miami, and head coach John Harbaugh praised his ability to line up at all three receiver spots just one day ago. He spent last season in Pittsburgh, catching 31 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns across 14 games. Austin had given the Giants another versatile option behind their top receivers and was making a strong case for regular snaps. If the injury proves as significant as initially feared, New York could be forced to adjust that receiver rotation before Week 1.

The Athletic's Dan Duggan writes that although New York Giants wide receiver Calvin Austin III's strong spring hasn't carried over to the start of training camp this summer, he's "still the team's top slot option." With that said, the slot role in New York isn't expected to be featured as much in new head coach John Harbaugh's offense as it was when Wan'Dale Robinson was racking up targets at will the last two seasons. Austin is going to have a role, sponging up the short targets in the passing game that Robinson once received. The 27-year-old, who stands at just 5-foot-9 and 162 pounds, failed to take advantage of extra opportunities with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025, with just 31 catches for 372 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games played in his third year in the NFL. Austin could have more of a role early on with the Giants this year if Malik Nabers (knee) isn't all the way back from his torn ACL, but every week, Austin's role in the offense is unlikely to yield enough targets to make him a worthy target in fantasy drafts in 12-team leagues.

New York Giants wide receiver Calvin Austin III will merely be competing for a depth role with his new team this summer in training camp. Malik Nabers (knee), Darius Slayton, and Darnell Mooney are locked into the top-three receiver spots for the G-Men heading into the 2026 season, with Austin battling Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster, rookie Malachi Fields, and Isaiah Hodgins for a backup role. The 27-year-old Austin caught 84 of 143 targets for 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns in 48 games (16 starts) in his three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers after he was a fourth-round pick in 2022 out of the University of Memphis. Austin currently appears to be ahead of OBJ and Smith-Schuster, with his primary competition likely to come in the form of Fields for the WR4 role in what should be a more balanced offense under new head coach John Harbaugh. Austin should be avoided in 12-team fantasy drafts this fall, with his only path to waiver-wire appeal early on likely coming if Nabers is not ready to play to begin the regular season.

With the New York Giants having signed or drafted six different wide receivers since the start of the new league year, one of their more under-the-radar additions was veteran Calvin Austin III, who agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million deal after three seasons with the Steelers. At 5'9" and 162 pounds, he offers a similar body type to free agent departee Wan'Dale Robinson, who led the team with 92 catches in 2025, though their usage has differed, with Austin seeing only about half of his snaps out of the slot over the past two seasons. Deployed more as a field stretcher than a true volume threat during his time in Pittsburgh, Austin has topped 400 receiving yards only once, and in New York, his skill set could overlap significantly with fellow free agent acquisition Darnell Mooney. With no clear picture of exactly how the Giants will utilize their deep group of new pass catchers, the only near certainty is that when healthy, the offense will run through 2024 first-round pick Malik Nabers. Ranked outside of RotoBaller's top 300 players for 2026, Austin is a player who will begin the year on waivers in most leagues and is likely to remain there barring the unforeseen.

Before signing a one-year deal with the New York Giants this offseason, wide receiver Calvin Austin III was able to provide the occasional spark across his three full-time seasons with the Steelers. His big-play ability contributed to four top-15 weekly fantasy finishes over the past two seasons, but his all-or-nothing nature made him a much more usable piece in best-ball formats than in lineup leagues. In signing with the Giants, he at least has a chance to produce more consistently if he can claim primary slot responsibilities in a top-heavy receiver room. Once healthy, the Giants' passing offense will run through 2024 first-round pick Malik Nabers, but with Wan'Dale Robinson's team-leading 140 targets from 2025 up for grabs, Austin has a chance to see a significant volume uptick. That said, new head coach John Harbaugh ran the league's run-heaviest offense over his final seasons in Baltimore, and his preference for a larger body in the slot was part of the reason he brought tight end Isaiah Likely with him to the Giants. Austin still profiles as a better-in-best-ball asset, but with enough moving pieces in New York to create usage ambiguity, he's at least worth a late-round dart throw in startup drafts as RotoBaller's dynasty WR133.

The New York Giants have signed wide receiver Calvin Austin III to a one-year contract worth up to $4.5 million, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Austin hit free agency earlier this week upon the expiration of his four-year rookie contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The former fourth-round pick entered the 2025 season with high expectations, given his role as the team's No. 2 wide receiver in a potentially pass-heavy offense. That never really came to fruition, though, as Austin finished the year with just 31 catches, 372 yards, and three touchdowns across 14 games. The Giants will rely on him and Darius Slayton to fill a depth role behind superstar wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee) next season. Austin is more of a low-floor, high-ceiling receiver, so while he should be rostered in most dynasty and many redraft leagues, he won't be a weekly fantasy starter in 2026.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III had a clear path to production in 2025, but he failed to capitalize on his opportunities and ultimately turned in a disappointing season. It seemed like Austin had a chance to break out this past season after Pittsburgh traded away George Pickens and signed quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The DK Metcalf addition certainly added a wrinkle to Austin's outlook, but it theoretically should have worked in his favor because he's more of a No. 2 receiver anyway. In the end, Austin's productivity actually took a step backward. He had 31 catches (five fewer than 2024), 372 yards (176 fewer than 2024), and three touchdowns (one fewer than 2024). He was the overall WR74 in PPR leagues, and managers never really knew when to start him. He was heavily dependent on scoring touchdowns, as he found the end zone in three of the four games where he produced double-digit fantasy points. Austin will have an opportunity for a fresh start in 2026, as he'll hit free agency next month. However, it was really crucial for him to produce in a contract year, and he wasn't able to do so. As a result, he might end up signing somewhere as a No. 3 receiver, which will severely limit his upside in fantasy football. He's off the redraft radar in most leagues. Dynasty managers should hold onto him for now, and then trade him as soon as he signs somewhere.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III stepped up with DK Metcalf on suspension in the team's Week 18 win over the Baltimore Ravens, which helped them win the AFC North division. Austin caught three of his seven targets for 55 yards and the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter. It was the 26-year-old's third touchdown of the year and his first since back on Sept. 21 in the win over the New England Patriots. The week prior, with Metcalf out due to suspension, Austin caught his only target for an eight-yard gain. His touchdown catch in Week 18 against the Ravens came with help from cornerback Chidobe Awuzie slipping to leave him wide open. Austin had just 31 catches for 372 yards and three touchdowns in 14 regular-season games, so he wasn't really on the radar in 12-team fantasy leagues. With Metcalf returning from his suspension in the Wild-Card game on Monday night against the Houston Texans, we aren't expecting much from Austin against the No. 1 defense in the NFL.