Jalen Hurts

It only goes up from here. On a day in which the Eagles gained only 10 first downs, and the top receiver on the team was TE Dallas Goedert (4 catches, 77 yards), rookie first round pick Makai Lemon was unable to make his mark in a way fantasy football players were looking for. The good news is, Lemon was on the field plenty, at one point throwing a crucial block that freed up teammate Jalen Hurts to scramble for a first down on a third and long play.

Given the amount of time Lemon missed this summer, a slow debut is not overly surprising, but signs are there his role could be expected to grow. Lemon tied fellow WR Dontayvion Wicks in targets from Jalen Hurts (4), and gets a nice bounceback spot against the Titans in week 2.

Darius Cooper is thriving with Philadelphia’s first-team offense in the absence of Devonta Smith and Makai Lemon. Head coach Nick Sirianni praised Cooper by saying, “he has had opportunities in training camp to win on third down, and he has done that. Let’s give him those opportunities [during regular season games].” The second-year receiver pairs an elite College Dominator Rating with reliable hands in contested-catch situations over the the middle, earning the trust of Eagles coaches, and most importantly, Jalen Hurts.

While Philadelphia’s depth chart remains crowded, the target heirarchy is wide open below established alpha Smith. Cooper’s catch rate in high-leverage routes positions him to siphon a meaningful regular-season route share from Marquise Brown and Dontayvion Wicks.

After missing spring reps with a hamstring injury, first-round rookie Makai Lemon is taking first-team snaps early in Philadelphia’s training camp. Lemon enters the league backed by elite collegiate profile metrics, including a 39.2-percent College Dominator Rating (81st percentile) and a 28.1-percent College Target Share (85th percentile).

Taking immediate top-unit work solidifies his path to deliver fantasy value relative to his current top-40 wide receiver ADP. Lemon has drawn Amon-Ra comps from Amon-Ra St. Brown himself, but unlike St. Brown, Lemon has a Jalen Hurts problem and is unlikely to supplant Devonta Smith in 2026. He remains behind Tate and Tyson in dynasty rookie drafts until we see him command significant usage with the first team during preseason.

With A.J. Brown traded to New England, first-round rookie Makai Lemon returns from a hamstring injury on July 29th backed by an 81st-percentile 39.2-percent College Dominator Rating and an 85th-percentile 28.1-percent Target Share. DeVonta Smith assumes WR1 duties, but Philadelphia remains run-centric behind Saquon Barkley, making early camp reports critical to determine Lemon’s actual target distribution in this offense.

Lemon is well-positioned to seize the WR2 job this summer, and he is a nice value checking in as PlayerProfiler’s WR44 for 2026 redraft fantasy football leagues. Lemon’s brief dynasty league buy-low window has also officially closed.

Makai Lemon lands in a premium situation with the Philadelphia Eagles after a dominant final season at USC where he won the Biletnikoff Award. Following the blockbuster trade of A.J. Brown to New England, the 192-pound 1st rounder steps directly into a high-volume role, which may be delayed due to this lingering hamstring injury.

While his 4.53 40-yard dash time suggests capped vertical upside, his route-running and elite zone awareness makes him one of the rare high-floor rookies. Lemon is a safe pick in the mid-first round of dynasty rookie drafts but don’t overpay in best ball given his absence from team activities.