Makai Lemon or Terrance Ferguson: Who Should You Start?

Historical comparison from 2026 Week 4 — one of these players isn’t on the current board.

Start Lemon — the availability and snap share edges are too wide to ignore.

Makai Lemon is the healthier side of this call (Ferguson carries a Doubtful tag) and plays a 66% snap share to Ferguson's 45%. Ferguson's edge is the consensus rank, TE22 to WR50. The gap is comfortable.

Makai Lemon

Makai Lemon

WR50PHIvs LAR

Projected Points

Toss-Up
Terrance Ferguson

Terrance Ferguson

TE22LARvs PHI

Projected Points

Sit· high

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 WR68 this week: 11% target share, 7.0 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.

Why Terrance Ferguson

Sit· high

Second-year TE2 and athletic receiving option. Explosive seam threat with big-play efficiency and red-zone scoring value behind the starter.

Listed doubtful with a medial ankle sprain and reported expected to miss Week 4 at PHI; even healthy, TE22 in a 3-of-32 matchup.

  • Listed Doubtful on the latest report — rarely plays through that tag.
  • PHI ranks 3 of 32 against TEs (one of the tougher matchups, 3-game sample).
  • Vegas implies 24.5 team points as 1.5-point favorites.
  • Listed TE on the latest depth chart with a 45% snap share.

The call

  • Availability is the driver: status is D (doubtful), and Yahoo Sports (2026-09-29) reports he sustained a medial ankle sprain in Week 3 and is expected to miss the Eagles game. A therams.com headline says McVay called him likely out, though that headline is unverified.
  • Even if he suits up, the profile is thin: 45% snap share and 11% target share over 3 games put him in a part-time role behind a TE22 consensus rank and 7.5 projected PPR points.
  • The matchup offers no rescue. PHI grades 3 of 32 against tight ends, though that rests on a 3-game sample with 0.25 confidence.
  • The 24.5 implied team total and -1.5 spread are neutral and don't offset the injury risk. Grab a healthy streamer instead of risking a zero from a doubtful player.

Latest on Ferguson

Status

Ferguson sustained a medial ankle sprain in Week 3 and is expected to miss the Week 4 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Yahoo Sports · Sep 29, 2026

Rams head coach Sean McVay discusses the latest injury updates on tight ends Terrance Ferguson (ankle) and Colby Parkinson (shoulder), as well as cornerback Jaylen Watson (shoulder) coming out of Sunday Night Football against the Broncos, as well as wide receiver Puka Nacua's (hip) status

therams.com · Sep 28, 2026

Odds, bets and analysis to help you bet Rams-Broncos on "Sunday Night Football."

ESPN · Sep 27, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Head-to-head stats

MetricMakai LemonTerrance Ferguson
Projected points
Consensus rankWR50TE22
Opponent vs positionLAR · 12 of 323-game samplePHI · 3 of 323-game sample
Receptions1 of 326 of 32
Receiving Yards6 of 325 of 32
Receiving TDs24 of 321 of 32
Targets4 of 323 of 32
Anytime TD24 of 321 of 32
Target share11%11%
Reception share13%10%
Implied total · spread23.0+1.524.5-1.5
Depth chartWR3TE2
Snap share66%45%
Injury designation—Doubtful
Start/Sit record0–10–0+1 toss-up

Recent form

Makai Lemon — last 3 weeks

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

Terrance Ferguson — last 3 weeks

Week 3vs DEN
Week 2vs NYG
Week 1vs SF

Signal breakdown

  • 7.0 vs 7.5 projected PPR pointsTerrance Ferguson +
  • Rank 50 vs 22Terrance Ferguson +
  • Opponent DvP rank 12 vs 3 (32 = softest)Makai Lemon +
  • Implied 23.0 vs 24.5 team pointsTerrance Ferguson +
  • no designation vs DoubtfulMakai Lemon +
  • 66% vs 45% snap shareMakai Lemon +

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