Makai Lemon Fantasy Stats

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon has a bright future in the NFL, but for now, he should be avoided in most redraft leagues. The Eagles spent a first-round pick on Lemon to replace A.J. Brown, and he responded by turning in a very disappointing camp/preseason and also battling a hamstring injury. As a result, he will open the season in the No. 3 spot on the depth chart, rather than the No. 2 role for which he was originally projected when the Eagles drafted him. As Lemon opens the year behind DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks, and Dallas Goedert, he faces an uphill battle to play meaningful snaps right away. This isn't uncommon for rookie receivers, especially those who deal with injuries or a slow acclimation period in their first training camp. We're still optimistic that Lemon will be an every-week fantasy contributor in the future, but for now, he can be left on waivers in all redraft leagues with 12 or fewer teams.

On the Philadelphia Eagles' unofficial depth chart released before Week 1, rookie first-round wide receiver Makai Lemon is listed as a starting WR and as the team's top punt-return option, according to Andrew DiCecco of InsideTheBirds.com. Although Lemon missed valuable development time in training camp this summer with a hamstring injury, he was always a lock to be a starter in three-wide sets to begin his rookie campaign in 2026 after the Eagles traded A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots in the offseason. However, Lemon should be viewed as more of a WR3 than a WR2 because of his quiet summer and Dontayvion Wicks' strong camp. The former USC star certainly has the potential to pass Wicks on the depth chart in 2026 by the end of the season, but early on, fantasy managers may want to temper expectations for Lemon. He is coming off a very productive final season with the Trojans in 2025, in which he caught 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 games played. It is not a bad idea to keep Lemon on the bench in his NFL debut this Sunday night against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys. Lemon is rostered in 75% of Yahoo leagues.

"Expectations should be tempered early" for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon, according to Tim McManus of ESPN.com. Lemon entered the league with plenty of upside, fueled by his first-round draft capital. However, some of that excitement faded away after he struggled in the preseason, catching just three passes for three yards. He also missed a portion of training camp due to a hamstring injury. The rookie noted that he needs to be more professional about how he conducts himself off the field in regard to proactively avoiding injuries, and the coaching staff followed that up by encouraging him to learn from experienced receiver DeVonta Smith. The rookie's slow summer will likely result in a slow start to the regular season, so he's unlikely to make a big impression right away. Instead, he's more of a developmental option in fantasy leagues, especially after falling to No. 3 on the depth chart behind Smith and Dontayvion Wicks. Currently, he has an ADP of 106.4 in redraft leagues; that corresponds to the ninth round of fantasy drafts, which feels like a bit of a reach given the latest chatter from Philly-based media.

The Philadelphia Eagles told rookie first-round wide receiver Makai Lemon to mirror the preparation of WR1 DeVonta Smith, who has been noted for his strong preparation in advance of games, according to Zach Berman of The Athletic. "I basically told him, 'Whatever Smitty does, you do.' And he's taken to that a little bit. I know that Smitty's done a good job of going out of his way to help him with some of that stuff," wide receivers coach Aaron Moorehead said. The 22-year-old 20th overall pick from USC had a quiet summer in training camp and missed valuable development time due to a nagging hamstring injury. He caught three of his five targets for five yards in the preseason finale against the Cincinnati Bengals last week. With Dontayvion Wicks rising to become the clear WR2 for Philly to start the 2026 campaign, Lemon is penciled in as the team's No. 3 wideout to begin his pro career. Lemon caught 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 games in his final collegiate season with the Trojans and could easily leapfrog Wicks at some point this year if he reaches his true potential. Despite his quiet summer, Lemon deserves attention as a late-round WR pick in upcoming drafts for his upside.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon came into the summer with a real shot to seize a major role right away, but things never quite got rolling. The No. 20 overall pick injured his hamstring on Aug. 3 and did not return to full participation until Aug. 24, costing him nearly three weeks of camp while Dontayvion Wicks made a push for work opposite DeVonta Smith. Lemon finally got on the field in the preseason finale against Cincinnati and looked rusty. He caught three of five targets for three yards, muffed a punt and had a drop that was intercepted. None of that changes why Philadelphia traded up for him after a 79-catch, 1,156-yard, 11-touchdown season at USC, and the Eagles say he is now fully healthy. It does make him harder to count on early. RotoBaller ranks Lemon WR48 in its September half-PPR rankings, which feels about right after a choppy August. There is still upside here, especially as the season goes on, but Lemon is better drafted as bench depth than as an immediate weekly option.

Philadelphia Eagles rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon missed the team's first two preseason games while dealing with a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined for much of training camp, and in Friday night's loss to the Bengals, he struggled to shake off the rust despite a concerted effort to get him involved early. Lemon was targeted five times in his first professional game, ending his night with three yards on three receptions, but he also muffed a punt and had a drop that led to an interception. "I'm glad it happened in the preseason, so come around September, those things won't happen," he said after the game. Expectations were high after the team traded up to select Lemon with the 20th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but his prolonged absence allowed Dontayvion Wicks to emerge as the team's second receiver alongside DeVonta Smith, and the rookie will need to spend the early weeks of the season playing catch-up as he looks to carve out a primary slot role. At RotoBaller's WR46, he is still a player to take a swing on in 2026 drafts with the understanding that his best production is likely to come later in the year.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon (hamstring) was back to full participation Monday and took first-team reps, according to Dave Zangaro. That's a notable step after the rookie missed most of August with a hamstring injury suffered on Aug. 3. Lemon only returned to practice Thursday and was limited to individual work, so this is the first time he has been back in team drills since the setback. The first-team work itself isn't new. Philadelphia had Lemon running with the starters during OTAs and again when training camp opened before the injury interrupted his summer. The 20th overall pick is coming off a 79-catch, 1,156-yard, 11-touchdown season at USC. He still has some catching up to do after losing nearly three weeks of practice, but Monday puts him back in the mix for the role the Eagles were already giving him before he went down. UPDATE: The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane reports that Lemon said he thinks he'll be ready for Week 1 against the division-rival Washington Commanders.

Philadelphia Eagles rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon (hamstring) is expected to have a major role in the team's passing game, according to Zach Berman of The Athletic. The 20th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Lemon has missed a large portion of training camp with a hamstring injury and just recently returned to practice in a limited capacity. Still, Berman writes that Lemon is expected to be one of Philly's top three wide receivers alongside DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks, and that the team believes the rookie can stay up to speed even without on-field work. Following their offseason trade of wide receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots, the Eagles have a significant level of pass-catching production to backfill in 2026. As long as he can stay healthy from here on out, Lemon could be a major part of that effort. In leagues where his value may be dropping due to injury concerns, Lemon could be a solid buy-low target for fantasy managers.

Philadelphia Eagles rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon (hamstring) returned to practice on Thursday, seen warming up alongside his teammates without a red non-contact jersey. The Eagles are participating in their second day of joint practices with the New England Patriots, so after being sidelined for more than two weeks with a hamstring injury, Lemon will get his first taste of NFL competition against a different team. The 20th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Lemon was expected to be a major piece in replacing the production of three-time Pro Bowler A.J. Brown, with whom he will share the field on Thursday, but his absence has allowed Dontayvion Wicks to step in as the team's second wide receiver option behind DeVonta Smith. Lemon has fallen to RotoBaller's WR47, but a few positive reports could see his stock rise in the final weeks of draft season. UPDATE: Lemon is practicing on a limited basis, according to NBC Sports' Dave Zangaro.

Philadelphia Eagles rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon (hamstring) has missed valuable training camp time with a hamstring injury, but after taking part in on-field rehab work during Monday's practice, Eagles beat reporter EJ Smith believes he is closing in on a return to full participation. Lemon has been sidelined since early August, and Smith cautions that because his role within Sean Mannion's offense appears to be so specific, he could still need significant time to work through the details before cracking the starting lineup. Lemon was the 20th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and his selection was part of a plan to replace the production of three-time Pro Bowler A.J. Brown, but his absence has created an opportunity for Dontayvion Wicks to claim the second spot alongside DeVonta Smith in two-receiver sets. While he could still find fantasy relevance late in the year, Lemon has fallen to RotoBaller's WR47 for 2026 drafts. UPDATE: Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports reports that Lemon was listed as limited on Wednesday but was not in uniform.