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Makai Lemon Tops 4 Rookies with Sinking Fantasy Football Value Ahead of NFL Week 1

Playing NFL football is no easy task, especially for a rookie like Makai Lemon, who is facing injury and fierce competition.
Thomas Carelli|
Aug 28, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon (9) before action against the Cincinnati Bengals at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Aug 28, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon (9) before action against the Cincinnati Bengals at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Entering the National Football League is no easy task. A player will have been a star at their respective university, but upon joining an NFL team, they must start anew. No different from being a High School Senior and then dropping to the bottom of the totem pole as a College Freshman, these players listed below have endured early struggles. They are listed as our four rookie fallers.

Fernando Mendoza

The No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick has grappled with success in the preseason. Mendoza has gone 25-for-45 with 240 total yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions, and a 59.5 passer rating. The Raiders, as expected, named Kirk Cousins the starter.

There is no certainty that Mendoza will play in 2026. If Cousins plays well, the Raiders will keep Mendoza on the bench, taking his rookie notes. He has shown nothing worth owning the starting job, so Cousins will have to really buck if these tides are to change.

Mendoza is currently projected as my QB32 in fantasy football. The only starting quarterback whom I have Mendoza projected ahead of is Deshaun Watson, who will have a short leash in Todd Monken's offense.

Jeremiyah Love

The latest update on Love's Week 1 status lists him as a true 50/50 to take the field. If Love does get the start, he will not be 100%. In which case, Tyler Allgeier could really command RB1 usage in that debut game. The good news is that Love would probably only miss Week 1, if any time at all. He can be well over 90% healthy by Week 2 and thus, still only a mild risk in fantasy football.

I am below consensus on Love. He is projected as a low-end RB2. Love is being started in 88% of fantasy leagues right now, while Allgeier's ownership has risen to 46%. If Love is out, Allgeier is an auto-start RB2 in fantasy football. If Love is healthy, be sure to read all the new information that shall arise. Do not blindly start an active Love. If he is ailing, the upside may not be worth the go.

Makai Lemon

Lemon has not been a star of training camp at all. He has dealt with injury, and when on the football field, there has been hardly any praise. Instead, Dontayvion Wicks has taken over the WR2 role under his coach, Sean Mannion, for the past two seasons in Green Bay.

I am below consensus on Lemon, who is being drafted as the WR45. Lemon is my WR66. He is at elevated risk in, my estimation, due to poor reports at training camp.

When it comes to the red zone, Lemon is no better than the Eagles' 5th-best option behind Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and Dontaviyon Wicks. As a slot receiver, Lemon will also lack the big-play ability that other corners around the same ADP (Quentin Johnston, Jordan Addison, Michael Pittman Jr.) have.

Eli Stowers

Not that Stowers was ever a fantasy viable tight end, but in dynasty, he was a long-term target. The Eagles have used the tight end in their offense. Goedert can tell you that, hence his 2nd-ranked standing among tight ends in touchdowns scored in 2025

The Eagles have pretty much stated that Stowers is unfit to play football right now. He has not adjusted well, and while he makes the 53-man roster, Stowers is now the team's TE3 and will lack any playing time. Instead, Johnny Mundt fields the TE2 role, and whenever Grant Calcaterra makes his return from injury, Stowers could fall to TE4. The Eagles are rumored to potentially sign Zach Ertz while Calcaterra is out.

Despite his shortcomings, the Eagles will not cut or waive the rookie. It is too radical a move to give up on your second-round draft pick. If already owned in dynasty formats, I would not sell Stowers yet, but he will not play any football for you anytime soon. The hope remains that he will become the long-term Goedert successor.

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Thomas Carelli
THOMAS CARELLI

Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.

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