Makai Lemon Fantasy Football Value After A.J. Brown Trade
With A.J. Brown out of the picture in Philadelphia, Matt LaMarca breaks down just how high the ceiling is for rookie WR Makai Lemon in 2026 fantasy football.
The 2025 NFL Draft class wasn’t considered stacked at receiver, but there were three guys in contention for the top spot. Carnell Tate ended up going fourth overall to the Titans, while Jordyn Tyson wasn’t too far behind. He landed eighth overall with the Saints, forming an imposing duo with Chris Olave.
That left Makai Lemon, who slid a bit further than expected. He was all set to head to Pittsburgh with the 21st overall pick, but the Eagles jumped one spot ahead of them to steal him from their in-state rivals.
Lemon took home the Fred Biletnikoff award in his final collegiate season, which is handed out annually to the top receiver in the nation. He was also a consensus All-American, finishing with 79 catches, 1,156 yards and 9 touchdowns in just 12 games played.
Lemon joins a team that has big aspirations, and he’ll be expected to make an immediate impact. But just how big can that impact be? Let’s dive into Makai Lemon's fantasy football value after the A.J. Brown trade.
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Makai Lemon Fantasy Football Value For 2026
With A.J. Brown now in New England, Lemon is expected to occupy the No. 2 receiver spot opposite DeVonta Smith. However, that’s not exactly a foregone conclusion. The Eagles also added veterans Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown in the offseason, so Lemon will have to compete with the two of them for snaps.
Still, teams don’t typically draft guys in the first round not to play them, especially when they trade up to get them. It’s clear that the Eagles like Lemon, and he should get every opportunity to prove himself quickly.
Brown’s departure opens up a lot of targets for the rest of the roster. He commanded a 30% target share last season, and he was at 33% in 2024-25. He’s been one of the bigger target hogs in football since landing in Philly, and those targets are going to have to go somewhere now that he’s gone.
Smith figures to be the biggest beneficiary, but he was already a solid target-earner in his own right. He had a 25% target share last season, so he can’t assume all of Brown’s looks. Even if he gets to 30% or so, that’s still going to leave plenty of looks for the other players on the depth chart.
If Lemon can earn that WR2 job right out of the gates, it has the potential to be extremely lucrative for fantasy purposes. He could post similar numbers to what Smith posted last year, when he finished as the WR20 in PPR formats. Ultimately, this will be a situation worth keeping an eye on in training camp.
Should You Draft Makai Lemon in 2026 Fantasy Football Drafts?
Lemon is someone that I am personally prioritizing in drafts at the moment. He’s currently coming off the board at pick No. 77 on Underdog, good for a fantasy football ADP of WR36. It puts him more than a full round after his compatriots Tate (59.3) and Tyson (63.1), even though he’s arguably in the best spot of the trio.
Unfortunately, our experts in our fantasy football rankings aren’t quite as bullish on Lemon as I am. He’s the consensus WR41, with Dwain McFarland ranking him best at WR36. Ian Hartitz has him as low as WR48, making him a poor investment at his current price tag.
Still, the upside with Lemon is too tempting for me to ignore. It relies on the Eagles’ offense bouncing back after a dismal campaign last season. Their numbers were way down across the board, which impacted all of the fantasy numbers for their relevant players.
Hopefully, that stands out as a one-year anomaly. They’ve been a top-eight unit in yards and points per game in each of the previous three seasons, and if they can get back to that level, Lemon has the potential to be an excellent value. The Eagles have had one of the most condensed passing attacks in football, so if Lemon can earn the WR2 job, he should see more than enough volume to be relevant. I’m comfortable drafting him at his current ADP.
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