Makai Lemon arrived in Philadelphia with first-round draft capital and a clear runway to make an early impact. A hamstring strain wiped out chunks of his training camp and complicated all of it. The depth chart in front of him and the offense around him both work against a fast start. Fantasy managers should temper their expectations for the rookie in 2026.
Should I Draft Makai Lemon in Fantasy Football?
I thought I was low on Lemon. That is probably more a product of my history than anything about the player.
Generally speaking, rookies are among the best values in fantasy football every single season. I usually want at least four or five of them on my teams. This year is different. I am not a believer in this rookie class, and outside of late-round dart throws, I have almost no interest in drafting most of them.
Lemon sits front and center in that group. His rookie season has not gone according to plan so far. The hamstring strain cost him valuable training camp reps, which matters more for a first-year player than for anyone else. Those are the practices where a rookie learns the offense and builds a rapport with his quarterback.
He is also going to open the season behind Dontayvion Wicks, which limits his appearances to three-receiver sets. That is a narrow role for a player who many expected to contribute right away.
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To be clear, Lemon is still a talented young receiver with Round 1 draft capital. It would be foolish to write him off entirely. As we well know, rookie wide receivers tend to backload their production as they acclimate to the NFL and earn more snaps. That path is very much available to him, and the second half of the season could look nothing like the first.
But the offensive context gives me real pause. This is a low-volume Philadelphia passing attack that runs through DeVonta Smith. There are only so many targets to go around, and the ones that exist have an established destination. A rookie fighting for snaps in three-receiver looks is not in a position to command much of anything early.
That combination is what keeps me from getting excited. I like the player. I do not like the situation for Year 1, and I am not paying up to find out whether the second-half breakout materializes.
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Lemon is my WR45 and the WR45 by ADP, which means I am somehow in lockstep with the market on a player I have been talking myself out of. I suppose I will take him if the price is right and the board pushes me there.
Just do not mistake him for someone I am aggressively targeting.
Katz’s WR Fantasy Rankings 2026
- Ja’Marr Chase | CIN
- Puka Nacua | LAR
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA
- Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET
- CeeDee Lamb | DAL
- Justin Jefferson | MIN
- Drake London | ATL
- Malik Nabers | NYG
- Nico Collins | HOU
- A.J. Brown | NE
- Chris Olave | NO
- George Pickens | DAL
- DeVonta Smith | PHI
- Zay Flowers | BAL
- Rashee Rice | KC
- Jaylen Waddle | DEN
- Tee Higgins | CIN
- Terry McLaurin | WAS
- Ladd McConkey | LAC
- Emeka Egbuka | TB
- Luther Burden III | CHI
- Tetairoa McMillan | CAR
- Garrett Wilson | NYJ
- Parker Washington | JAX
- Jameson Williams | DET
- Christian Watson | GB
- Rome Odunze | CHI
- Carnell Tate | TEN
- Davante Adams | LAR
- Mike Evans | SF
- Marvin Harrison Jr. | ARI
- DJ Moore | BUF
- Brian Thomas Jr. | JAX
- Chris Godwin Jr. | TB
- Stefon Diggs | WAS
- Michael Pittman Jr. | PIT
- Quentin Johnston | LAC
- Josh Downs | IND
- Wan’Dale Robinson | TEN
- Jayden Reed | GB
- DK Metcalf | PIT
- Jordan Addison | MIN
- Courtland Sutton | DEN
- Jakobi Meyers | JAX
- Makai Lemon | PHI
- Xavier Worthy | KC
- Michael Wilson | ARI
- KC Concepcion | CLE
- Romeo Doubs | NE
- Jalen Coker | CAR
