Brenton Strange or Makai Lemon: Who Should You Start?

2026 Week 4 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.

Start Strange — the consensus rank and game script edges are too wide to ignore.

Brenton Strange is the higher consensus play (TE19 to WR50) and plays in the better game script (24.5 implied team points to 23.0). No signal favors Lemon this week. The gap is comfortable.

Brenton Strange

Brenton Strange

TE19JAXvs CIN

Projected Points

Start
Makai Lemon

Makai Lemon

WR50PHIvs LAR

Projected Points

Toss-Up

Brenton Strange’s market

ATD
Anytime TD
+255
Anytime Touchdown Props →

Makai Lemon’s market

REC
O/U 2.5
-144 / +113
REC YDS
O/U 25.5
-110 / -114
ATD
Anytime TD
+500
JAX@
CINSun, Oct 4, 1:00 PM ETView the game →
LAR@
PHISun, Oct 4, 1:00 PM ETView the game →

Why Brenton Strange

Start

Starting TE and ascending pass-catcher. Athletic seam target with adequate in-line blocking.

Start — TE19 consensus, projects TE20 this week: 24.5 implied team total, 13% target share.

  • CIN ranks 19 of 32 against TEs (a middle-of-the-road matchup, 3-game sample).
  • Vegas implies 24.5 team points as 2.5-point underdogs.
  • Listed TE on the latest depth chart with a 76% snap share.

Why Makai Lemon

Toss-Up

Rookie WR3 in slot-heavy role. Quick separator with reliable hands and yards-after-catch juice.

Toss-up — WR50 consensus, projects WR67 this week: 11% target share, 7.5 PPR projected vs LAR.

  • LAR ranks 12 of 32 against WRs (a middle-of-the-road matchup, 3-game sample).
  • Vegas implies 23.0 team points as 1.5-point underdogs.
  • Listed WR-3 on the latest depth chart with a 66% snap share.

Head-to-head stats

MetricBrenton StrangeMakai Lemon
Projected points
Consensus rankTE19WR50
Opponent vs positionCIN · 19 of 323-game sampleLAR · 12 of 323-game sample
Receptions30 of 321 of 32
Receiving Yards31 of 326 of 32
Receiving TDs1 of 3224 of 32
Targets30 of 324 of 32
Anytime TD1 of 3224 of 32
Target share13%11%
Reception share13%13%
Implied total · spread24.5+2.523.0+1.5
Depth chartTE1WR3
Snap share76%66%
Start/Sit record—0–1

Recent form

Brenton Strange — last 3 weeks

Week 3vs NE
Week 2vs DEN
Week 1vs CLE

Makai Lemon — last 3 weeks

Week 3vs CHI
Week 2vs TEN
Week 1vs WSH

Signal breakdown

  • 8.0 vs 7.5 projected PPR pointsBrenton Strange +
  • Rank 19 vs 50Brenton Strange +
  • Opponent DvP rank 19 vs 12 (32 = softest)Brenton Strange +
  • Implied 24.5 vs 23.0 team pointsBrenton Strange +
  • No injury designationseven
  • 76% vs 66% snap shareBrenton Strange +

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