Isaac TeSlaa's growing role could become a nightmare for some fantasy managers
Being limited by an illness during the practice week led to Detroit Lions rookie wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa playing just three offensive snaps in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers. His highlight-reel touchdown catch was the easy highlight of an otherwise rough day for the Lions, and it brought visions of what he might be able to do with a bigger role.
The day after the season opener, Lions head coach Dan Campbell promised TeSlaa would see more action.
"I think we really wanted to try to get him involved last week (going into Week 1)", Campbell said. "But then he got sick and he missed a lot of practice, so then we didn't feel comfortable trying to load him up with stuff. So it was gonna be very limited. But certainly, we'd like to use him more."
The end of Campbell's comments coming out of Week 1 was easy to see as a sneaky message to fantasy managers (in deeper leagues) to put TeSlaa somewhere on their radar.
Isaac TeSlaa is lined up to be an increasing factor in the Lions' offense
In Week 2 against the Chicago Bears, TeSlaa played 17 offensive snaps as he narrowed the playing time gap (as expected) with Kalif Raymond (32 snaps). The rookie made another one-handed catch late in the first half, on his lone target in the game, which kicked off a sequence that was made controversial by an officiating error.
On a little more than half the snaps against the Bears, TeSlaa ran just two fewer routes than Raymond with the same number of targets (Raymond had one carry). Taking a look at the game from a fantasy perspective, Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus outlined some finer details of TeSlaa's increased role.
"The Lions used Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams as their main wide receivers last week, while Kalif Raymond almost always joined the two in three-receiver sets. TeSlaa’s three snaps all came at Raymond's expense in three-receiver sets."
"This week, Raymond’s playing time in 11 personnel dropped to 70.3%, while TeSlaa’s time increased to 43.2%. TeSlaa also played a snap in a two-wide receiver set. This was not necessarily a result of the blowout. TeSlaa played 12 snaps in the first half compared to Raymond's 15. TeSlaa played noticeably less in the second half because the Lions weren’t using as much 11 personnel."
Jahnke finished his analysis with what easily lands as the bottom line regarding TeSlaa as a fantasy factor this year.
"While TeSlaa might not see enough volume to make him a fantasy starter, it will be interesting to see if he can take volume away from anyone else in the offense."
TeSlaa (6-foot-4, 214 pounds) is, at minimum, an ideal red zone target for Jared Goff as he gets more and more integrated into the Lions' offense. Toward the higher end of outcomes, he's the "X" receiver they've struggled to find.
Barring an injury to Amon-Ra St. Brown or Jameson Williams, TeSlaa will not see the consistent volume befitting a fantasy starter this season. But, as time goes on, he could siphon off enough valuable opportunities to impact the Lions' pass catchers who are weekly lineup locks (St. Brown, Williams, tight end Sam LaPorta).
The term "fantasy vulture" is usually reserved for players at positions other than wide receiver. But TeSlaa could become that dreaded production leech for a segment of fantasy managers, just as Lions fans are getting excited about his growing role in the offense.
Commanders Escape the Top 10 Most Hated NFL Teams But Rivalries Are Still Intense
The Washington Commanders may be under fire after a rocky start to the NFL season, but according to a new Hard Rock Bet survey of 2,000 fans, they are not among the ten most despised franchises in the league. The Commanders landed at No. 15 on the list, receiving 5.1 percent of total “hate” votes as the NFL heads into its third week. While Washington drew criticism from fans across the country, the survey revealed that rivalries remain the driving force behind most animosity.
Commanders Fans Target Longtime Rivals
The survey data showed that Commanders fans direct most of their own animosity toward traditional and emerging rivals. The Dallas Cowboys, Washington’s oldest foe, captured 23.1 percent of hate votes among Commanders supporters. The Kansas City Chiefs followed closely at 17.9 percent, fueled in part by the Chiefs’ recent dominance and Super Bowl success. The Baltimore Ravens, Washington’s geographic neighbor and occasional preseason opponent, rounded out the top three at 17.6 percent.
This pattern mirrors a broader league trend where rivalries dominate fan hatred. “Rivalries remain fierce,” the report stated, noting that not a single respondent chose “none of the above” when asked if they despised a team. The NFC East stood out as the league’s most toxic division, with Washington’s rivalry with Dallas earning an extreme hatred score of 46 percent, one of the highest figures in the survey. That intensity underscores just how deeply embedded these rivalries remain, even as player rosters and team fortunes change over the years.
The Commanders’ placement outside the top ten most hated franchises may come as a relief for Washington supporters. Despite being one of the league’s most historic franchises, their recent struggles have kept them under the radar compared to perennial lightning rods like the Cowboys and New England Patriots. Still, the 5.1 percent hatred score suggests Washington remains a team that plenty of fans love to root against.
Cowboys Dominate Hate Rankings
The Dallas Cowboys unsurprisingly topped the national rankings, earning 21 percent of total votes, nearly double the second-place New England Patriots at 11 percent. The Kansas City Chiefs (9.2 percent), Philadelphia Eagles (8.1 percent), and Baltimore Ravens (7.7 percent) rounded out the top five. Successful teams tend to draw more resentment, with six of the top ten franchises having hoisted a Lombardi Trophy in the past two decades.
Some surprising rivalries also emerged in the survey. Atlanta Falcons fans expressed the most hatred for the Arizona Cardinals (35.5 percent), despite the two teams rarely facing each other. Kansas City Chiefs earned 26 percent hatred from Cincinnati Bengals fans, reflecting the two teams’ recent playoff clashes. Even classic rivalries endured, with Chicago Bears fans still disliking the Green Bay Packers at a 31.8 percent rate.
At the other end of the spectrum, the New Orleans Saints ranked as the least despised team, pulling in just 2.5 percent of the vote. That finding reinforces the idea that teams outside the media spotlight or without recent dominance often escape widespread fan animosity.
For the Commanders, finishing outside the top ten most hated list highlights their current place in the NFL landscape, significant enough to stir rivalries but not polarizing enough to draw league-wide ire. As the season progresses and Washington battles divisional foes like the Cowboys and Eagles, those rivalry-driven emotions will undoubtedly intensify.
The data also serves as a reminder of how rivalries shape NFL culture. Whether it is Washington versus Dallas, Cleveland versus Pittsburgh, or Philadelphia versus Dallas, fan passion and animosity keep the league’s narratives compelling. For the Commanders, being ranked 15th may not be flattering, but it speaks to the history and passion surrounding their franchise, proving that even amid ups and downs, Washington remains a team worth watching, and, for some, worth hating.
