The Detroit Lions’ offense is, once again, one of the most dangerous in the NFL. Getting in on the action from a fantasy perspective could be tough at this point in the season, but wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa is right there for the taking.
TeSlaa is currently rostered in 1.4% of ESPN leagues and 2% of Yahoo leagues. With the waiver wire as active as ever, is he worth adding to your bench for the rest of the season?
Is Isaac TeSlaa healthy?
Despite seeing the field on just nine snaps in Week 7, TeSlaa has yet to show up on the injury report since dealing with an illness in early September. He is now coming off a Week 8 bye, too, so he should be as fresh as ever heading into the back half of the season.
The rest of the Lions’ offense is healthy, as well, ahead of their Week 9 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.
Isaac TeSlaa Fantasy Value
Detroit selected TeSlaa in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He was the No. 70 overall pick and the No. 10 receiver off the board. The 6-foot-4 wideout caught 62 passes across 25 games at Arkansas, racking up 896 yards and five touchdowns.
TeSlaa burst onto the scene with a touchdown in Week 1, catching his only target for a 13-yard score. His snaps climbed from three to 17 in Week 2, leading to a 29-yard circus catch deep in the red zone. TeSlaa got two targets in Week 3, even logging a start, but he didn’t catch either of them. He didn’t get any looks in Week 4. Then, in Week 5, TeSlaa came down with another touchdown. After not throwing his way once in Week 6, Jared Goff just missed TeSlaa in the end zone in Week 7.
The Lions were confident enough in TeSlaa coming out of the preseason that they traded Tim Patrick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a future pick. There are now only four Detroit wideouts who have run a route in 2025: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Kalif Raymond and TeSlaa. Only the Cardinals, Bengals, Saints and Eagles boast receiver rooms that thin. Of course, running back Jahmyr Gibbs factors heavily into the passing game – as do tight ends Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright – but the Lions’ lack of depth outside the numbers is worth noting regardless.
TeSlaa’s average depth of target is 16.33 yards. That is right up there with Williams, who boasts a 17.0-yard ADOT. Should Williams get hurt, TeSlaa is primed to slide right into his role as a top vertical threat. Williams didn’t catch a single pass in Week 7, either, so it might not even take an injury for TeSlaa to eat away at his workload.
Is Isaac TeSlaa worth a roster spot?
TeSlaa has been about as boom-or-bust as it gets so far in 2025, and even his booms haven’t exactly been world-breaking. He has yet to reach double-digit fantasy points or catch multiple passes in a single game in the NFL. Even with Bye-Mageddon striking yet again, there are many more viable FLEX options on waivers for Weeks 9 and 10. TeSlaa likely won’t be worth starting at any point this season, so redraft owners probably shouldn’t bother picking him up until he shows more than a sliver of promise.
There isn’t really a clear path to dynasty relevance for TeSlaa, either. Jameson Williams inked a three-year, $80 million extension just this past offseason. TeSlaa is a clear-cut Williams backup, and the Lions seem very committed to Williams moving forward. The former first round pick is still just 24 years old – one year older than TeSlaa – with a $25.4 million dead cap for 2026 and a $17.2 million dead cap for 2027.
TeSlaa could score a few more touchdowns and continue to settle in as his rookie year progresses, but he appears to be pigeon-holed into a pretty niche role for the time being.
