Hakeem Nicks: 'I'm playing' in Giants opener against Cowboys

Nicks says he's playing on Wednesday for the NFL's kickoff. (US Presswire)

Hakeem Nicks missed practice on Monday, just as he did on Sunday. But the Giants wide receiver insisted after both sessions that he'd be on the field when New York plays the Cowboys during Wednesday's opening game.

"I'm playing, period" Nicks said Sunday. "You don't have to ask me no questions. I'm playing."

Nicks repeated that mantra on Monday after missing practice and said that his right foot, which he fractured in May, is "fine."

"It feels fine," Nicks said, per the New Jersey Star-Ledger. "There should be no problem come gametime. I should be ready to go."

Nicks caught just one pass during the preseason, a six-yard catch against the Patriots during the fourth exhibition game and said that while he doesn't like missing the practice sessions, it was good to get some live action in advance of the season kicking off.

"I just wanted to get my feet back up under me a little bit," Nicks said. "I got ten plays in. kind of wanted to see how it would feel on that harder turf after being out here on grass. I got the feel a little bit so I kind of know what to expect. But this game it'll be about 60 plays instead of ten."

If Nicks gets 60 plays, he'll be on the field for much of the Giants offensive snaps. And that's a huge difference maker, particularly if he's at or near 100 percent. Nicks presence makes the Giants substantially more dynamic, especially because it forces defenses to spread their focus on both he and 2011 breakout Victor Cruz.

This is particularly crucial since the Cowboys went out and revamped their secondary this offseason, picking up Brandon Carr in free agency and Morris Claiborne in the draft.

As for how this might affect you, our crack fantasy team notes that as long as Nicks is ready to roll on Wednesday "that makes him a solid Fantasy start in all formats." And if you're drafting between now and Wednesday night, feel free to grab Nicks if him missing practice causes him to slip in drafts.

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