Who Should I Start? Alec Pierce or Makai Lemon

Saturday, September 26, 12:41 PM

To put it mildly, Philadelphia Eagles rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon has had trouble acclimating early in his NFL career. After missing time in training camp due to a hamstring injury, Lemon struggled in the preseason and those struggles have followed him into the first two weeks of the 2026 regular season. After a rough debut in Week 1 against the Washington Commanders, in which Lemon recorded three receptions for a total of minus-five yards, he followed that up with just one target in Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans. He finished with one catch for 14 yards and one rush attempt that went for minus-five yards against Tennessee. Lemon will look to break out of his rookie slump in what could potentially be a solid matchup for him against a Bears defense that has allowed 504 gross passing yards through two games. While he has had his issues, what is going well for Lemon is the number of snaps he is playing. He is Philadelphia's clear No. 3 wide receiver with 83 offensive snaps, behind DeVonta Smith (119) and Dontayvion Wicks (97). Lemon played 48 snaps on offense in Week 2, but it should be noted that wide receiver Darius Cooper saw a large uptick in snaps against the Titans with 31 after only seeing eight offensive reps in Week 1. Cooper made two receptions, including a game-winning touchdown, for 26 yards against Tennessee. Lemon ranks as RotoBaller's No. 55 wideout for Week 3. For now, Lemon should maintain his normal role, but until he sees more volume in the passing game and proves he can produce, he should not be in your lineup in most formats.