Start Jalen Royals or Makai Lemon? Week 7

Our Week 7 call

Start Makai Lemon over Jalen Royals in Week 7.

Market-based projections have Makai Lemon at 6.4 points and Jalen Royals at 5.8, a gap of 0.6. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip. No player market is posted for Makai Lemon this week yet, so his 6.4 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 4, 5 and 6 (6.7, 7.2 and 5.3); the call is rebuilt when his market posts.

What the market projects

No Week 7 player market is posted for Makai Lemon yet. His market-based projections were 6.7, 7.2 and 5.3 points in Weeks 4, 5 and 6, an average of 6.4, which stands in until his Week 7 market posts.

The market-based projection for Makai Lemon is 0.3 touchdowns (13 market sources).

Player markets imply 5.8 fantasy points for Jalen Royals, with 100 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

The market-based projection for Jalen Royals is 21 receiving yards, 2-3 receptions and 0.2 touchdowns (11, 12 and 12 market sources).

That puts Makai Lemon 0.6 points ahead of Jalen Royals on these projections.

Week 7 matchups

Makai Lemon and PHI host DAL on Monday at 8:15 PM ET.

DAL allowed 36.2 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 6 games, the 7th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 169 yards and a touchdown a game against DAL.

Jalen Royals and KC visit SEA on Sunday at 8:20 PM ET.

SEA allowed 22.7 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 6 games, the 2nd fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 101 yards and 0.7 touchdowns a game against SEA.

By points allowed to the position, Makai Lemon has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Makai Lemon is not on the injury report.

Jalen Royals is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 7

Through Week 6, Makai Lemon played 72 percent of PHI snaps, drew 15 percent of the targets, earned 10 percent of the air yards and had 0 percent of the red zone chances.

Makai Lemon, Week 3 against CHI: 35 of 50 snaps, 4 targets and 3 catches for 29 yards.

Makai Lemon, Week 4 against LAR: 45 of 61 snaps, 6 targets and 3 catches for 27 yards.

Makai Lemon, Week 5 against JAX: 50 of 62 snaps, 7 targets and 5 catches for 43 yards.

Makai Lemon, Week 6 against CAR: 52 of 64 snaps, 6 targets and 3 catches for 19 yards.

Through Week 6, Jalen Royals played 42 percent of KC snaps, drew 7 percent of the targets, earned 6 percent of the air yards and had 4 percent of the red zone chances.

Jalen Royals, Week 2 against IND: 12 of 80 snaps, 2 targets and 2 catches for 6 yards, 1 touchdown.

Jalen Royals, Week 3 against MIA: 10 of 52 snaps, 1 target and 1 catch for 11 yards.

Jalen Royals, Week 4 against LV: 38 of 60 snaps, 2 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Jalen Royals, Week 6 against LAC: 45 of 61 snaps, 4 targets and 2 catches for 24 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Jalen Royals played 7 games for KC and scored 2.4 PPR points, 0.3 a game.

He caught 2 of 3 targets for 4 yards and 0 touchdowns, with 0 red zone targets and 0 air yards.

He was on the field for 9 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 7 calls

• Start Makai Lemon over Adonai Mitchell.
• Start Makai Lemon over Brycen Tremayne.
• Start Chris Godwin Jr. over Makai Lemon.
• Start Adonai Mitchell over Jalen Royals.
• Start Jalen Royals over Brycen Tremayne.
• Start Cooper Kupp over Jalen Royals.