Should I start DK Metcalf or Makai Lemon in Week 8?

Updated Oct 28, 1:11 AM ET. Week 9 answers post Tuesday.

Start DK Metcalf: 93 percent of the snaps and 25 percent of the targets over their last 3 games, against Makai Lemon's 86 percent of the snaps and 18 percent of the targets. No market projection is posted on either of them this week, so this is a usage call, and a lower confidence one than a call made on a projection. What follows is what each of them has done.

Should I drop Makai Lemon for DK Metcalf?

Yes, on the rest of the season. DK Metcalf projects 104 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (11.5 a game over 9 games), Makai Lemon 53 (5.9 a game over 9 games).

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Neither man carries a season projection right now, so this is their usage this season and their last full season's numbers, side by side.

DK Metcalf

WR51 · PIT · bye 9

2026 vs anytime td line 1-6

Market-based projection: 13.0 pts a game Wk 7 price
Overall rank: 122

Makai Lemon

WR52 · PHI · bye 10

2026 vs anytime td line 1-6

Market-based projection: 10.0 pts a game Wk 7 price
Overall rank: 123

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The gap

Board size295 draftable players

Draft data is not current for these two, so the figures that depend on it are left out. The call above comes from each player's usage.

Where the draft room stands

Live drafts hold no current pick on DK Metcalf, and the board ranks him 122nd overall on the rest of his evidence.

Live drafts hold no current pick on Makai Lemon, and the board ranks him 123rd overall on the rest of his evidence.

The market-based projections

The market-based projection for DK Metcalf is 2.0 PPR points a game off 1 market across 2 market sources. That is 30 percent of what a wide receiver's projection needs, so it is a fragment of one rather than a projection.

The market-based projection for Makai Lemon is 1.9 PPR points a game off 1 market across 3 market sources. That is 30 percent of what a wide receiver's projection needs, so it is a fragment of one rather than a projection.

DK Metcalf's projection is not complete, so the two figures are not set against each other here.

This season through Week 7

Through Week 7, DK Metcalf has been on the field for 95 percent of PIT snaps, drawn 24 percent of the targets and had 9 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 19 of the offence's 58 third down targets, had 1 of its 7 chances inside the five and seen 5 of its 41 two minute targets.

His 58 targets have averaged 12.7 air yards.

In Week 5 against IND he carried 1 time for 11 yards, caught 3 of 4 targets for 12 yards and did not score.

In Week 6 against TB he caught 11 of 15 targets for 93 yards and did not score.

In Week 7 against NO he caught 2 of 6 targets for 56 yards and did not score.

Through Week 7, Makai Lemon has been on the field for 76 percent of PHI snaps, drawn 16 percent of the targets and had 2 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 9 of the offence's 69 third down targets, had 1 of its 15 chances inside the five and seen 5 of its 37 two minute targets.

His 36 targets have averaged 5.1 air yards.

In Week 5 against JAX he caught 5 of 7 targets for 43 yards and did not score.

In Week 6 against CAR he caught 3 of 6 targets for 19 yards and did not score.

In Week 7 against DAL he caught 7 of 8 targets for 67 yards and scored 1 touchdown.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025 DK Metcalf played 15 games and scored 187.2 PPR points, 12.5 a game, finishing WR26.

He caught 59 of 99 targets for 850 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 13 red zone targets.

That came to 6.6 targets a game, a 60 percent catch rate and 14.4 yards a catch.

He was on the field for 87 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

Makai Lemon is a rookie, so there is no NFL season behind him to price him against.

Head to head

This season DK Metcalf holds the bigger snap share, 95 percent against 76 percent.

This season DK Metcalf holds the bigger target share, 24 percent against 16 percent.

Byes and availability

DK Metcalf is off in Week 9 and Makai Lemon in Week 10, so either can cover the other's bye.

Drop or keep

Should I drop Makai Lemon for DK Metcalf?
Yes, on the rest of the season. DK Metcalf projects 104 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (11.5 a game over 9 games), Makai Lemon 53 (5.9 a game over 9 games).
Should I drop DK Metcalf for Makai Lemon?
No. Keep DK Metcalf: he projects 104 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (11.5 a game over 9 games), Makai Lemon 53 (5.9 a game over 9 games).