Who Should I Start? Jacob Cowing or Isaac TeSlaa

Monday, January 5, 7:45 PM

The San Francisco 49ers will open the 21-day practice window for wide receiver Jacob Cowing (hamstring) this week, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. Cowing will practice with the team on Wednesday, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. The 24-year-old is getting closer to returning from Injured Reserve, but he could still be unlikely to be activated to play in the Wild-Card playoff game this Sunday against the hosting Philadelphia Eagles. If Cowing does end up playing against the Eagles, he will most likely only have a role on special teams after missing the entire 2025 regular season. The former fourth-round selection in 2024 out of Arizona caught four of his six targets for 80 yards in 15 games last year in his first season in the NFL. Cowing will be a long shot to surface as an option in playoff fantasy formats.

Thursday, January 1, 10:53 AM

Detroit Lions rookie wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa hauled in three of four targets for 49 yards and a touchdown in the 23-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Despite the Lions' recent offensive struggles, TeSlaa has played well, totaling three catches for 45+ yards and a touchdown in back-to-back weeks. He is on a historic pace for red-zone efficiency, scoring a touchdown on 40% of his receptions this season, all inside the 20-yard line. He faces a Chicago Bears secondary in Week 18 that has allowed the second-most touchdowns to wide receivers this season, making this a potential smash spot for TeSlaa. While his usage and other metrics underwhelm, the rookie receiver continues to add value to his fantasy profile by scoring touchdowns.