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Should I pickup Dontayvion Wicks or Makai Lemon as fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 5 of 2026? Read our fantasy football waiver wire outlooks.
The Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4 for the first time in the Sean McVay era. It's not a huge surprise they weren't able to come out with a win, though, as they were missing their top-2 targets this season and their No. 1 wideout from a year ago.
Wide receiver A.J. Brown (knee) was dealt to the New England Patriots in the offseason, tight end Dallas Goedert (knee) went down with a knee injury two weeks ago, and wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring) suffered a hamstring injury after Week 3 and was ruled out for Week 4.
With both Goedert and Smith out, the Eagles looked to their backup receivers to produce. It didn't result in a win, but the added opportunity makes both these WRs interesting waiver pickup candidates. So should you add Wicks or Lemon from waivers in fantasy football ahead of Week 5?
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Dontayvion Wicks Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook
The elephant in the room before any analysis of these players is quarterback Jalen Hurts's lack of productivity. In Week 4, he threw for just 93 passing yards by completing 12 of his 27 passing attempts. He threw two touchdowns, but neither of them went to Wicks.
93 passing yards is not enough to support any fantasy-relevant pass-catcher. Unless all 12 completions went to the same guy, you're either banking on touchdown luck or you're out of luck. Wicks ended his day with five targets, three catches, and 18 receiving yards, making him a big bust.
Nick Foles says Jalen Hurts is missing wide open WRs like Makai Lemon and Dontayvion Wicks because he’s not going through progressions or throwing on time (again).
🎥 (@NickFoles) https://t.co/mVJVmkUTp2
— Kyouma (@kyoumacapital) October 5, 2026
Hurts has long benefited from an elite offensive line and one of the best offensive rosters in the NFL. They've let him be a huge threat in the run game, which has opened up passing lanes downfield and allowed him to run what he prefers—an extremely simple, neutered version of an NFL offense.
He's not been a productive passer since Shane Steichen was the offensive coordinator, and the results are showing. Without an elite receiving weapon like Smith or Brown, he struggles greatly and misses open receivers in his progressions. He hasn't typically played in the structure of an offense since 2023.
The Rams have solid defensive backs this season, but Wicks got open multiple times, and Hurts just didn't hit him. Wicks would finish the game with just three catches for 18 yards.
Makai Lemon Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook
The story for Lemon is similar to that of Wicks, and the problem was mostly Hurts in Week 4. Lemon hasn't had a great season (as he missed most of camp tending to injuries), but on film, you see structural problems with the offense that start with the quarterback.
Makai Lemon 4th down conversion!
Build that trust!
#Eagles https://t.co/p150MyOVod
— Thomas R. Petersen (@thomasrp93) October 4, 2026
Hurts tends to play a very risk-averse brand of football, trying to avoid throwing interceptions when he can, even if it costs his team lots of completions downfield to open receivers.
Despite drawing six targets on Sunday, Lemon caught only three for 27 yards.
Should I Pickup Dontayvion Wicks or Makai Lemon For Fantasy Football?
Both of these players should be rostered in fantasy football leagues moving forward. Wicks has decent spike-week potential, as we saw in his two double-digit PPR fantasy point performances in Week 1 and 2. And Lemon is a rookie who was drafted in the first round and universally lauded for his talent.
Wicks likely doesn't have a ton of long-term upside -- the first Lemon breakout game could spell the end of his short time as a fantasy-relevant wideout this season. Remember that Lemon dealt with hamstring issues in the offseason and missed crucial practices as a result.
If looking for long-term upside, Lemon is the preferred pickup. However, when active, both Smith and Goedert should operate as the clear top options in this passing attack.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
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Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
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