Who should I pick up: Brenton Strange or Brian Thomas Jr.?

The claim now. The weeks ahead. Make room for the right player.

THE PICKUP CALL

For this week: Brenton Strange

If both are available and you need Week 8 points in a FLEX slot, pick up Brenton Strange over Brian Thomas Jr.: 6.5 versus 2.5 projected FP in Standard. A longer-term hold can be a different decision; compare the outlook below before choosing who to drop.

Forecast updated Oct 30, 1:04 PM ET · Standard

THIS-WEEK PICKUP

Brenton Strange

TE · JAC · vs IND

Stats & schedule ›

6.5FF projected FP

Nov 1, 1:00 PM ET

48.2%rostered on ESPN+2.77 pp recent change

THE ALTERNATIVE

Brian Thomas Jr.

WR · JAC · vs IND

Stats & schedule ›

2.5FF projected FP

Nov 1, 1:00 PM ET

40.6%rostered on ESPN-0.75 pp recent change

WHY THIS PICKUP?

Fit the move to the job.

Brenton Strange is the stronger immediate points option. Brian Thomas Jr. is more widely available across ESPN leagues, but league-wide ownership cannot tell us who is available in yours. These players share FLEX eligibility; check whether you also need one of them in a dedicated RB, WR or TE slot. A rising roster percentage can explain interest in a player; it does not increase his projected score. If you must drop someone, check the full roster in GamePlan before making the claim.

Brenton Strange

Brenton Strange projects for 6.5 Standard points against IND this week. His recent scoring average is 5.6 FP. He is rostered in 48.2% of ESPN leagues, with a reported gain of 2.77 percentage points. Roster trends measure manager activity, not a guarantee of playing time or availability in your league.

Fortified Fantasy: 6.5 FP
ESPN: 5.9 FP
Sleeper: 6.5 FP
FantasyPros: 6.5 FP
Boosted Trees: 6.1 FP
Workload: 8.1 FP
Monte Carlo: 7.9 FP

Boosted Trees: Experimental · saved Oct 27, 12:03 AM ET
Workload: Experimental · saved Oct 28, 9:08 PM ET
Monte Carlo: Experimental · central 80%: -0.0–20.1 FP · saved Oct 28, 9:16 PM ET

Brian Thomas Jr.

Brian Thomas Jr. projects for 2.5 Standard points against IND this week. His recent scoring average is 0.0 FP. He is rostered in 40.6% of ESPN leagues, with a reported decline of 0.75 percentage points. Roster trends measure manager activity, not a guarantee of playing time or availability in your league.

Fortified Fantasy: 2.5 FP
ESPN: 4.0 FP
Sleeper: 2.3 FP
FantasyPros: 3.0 FP
Boosted Trees: 4.3 FP
Workload: 2.8 FP
Monte Carlo: 3.0 FP

Boosted Trees: Experimental · saved Oct 27, 12:03 AM ET
Workload: Experimental · saved Oct 28, 9:08 PM ET
Monte Carlo: Experimental · central 80%: -0.4–7.9 FP · saved Oct 28, 9:16 PM ET

Roster data as of Oct 30, 12:30 PM ET / Oct 30, 12:30 PM ET. Recent change uses ESPN’s reported field; its lookback window is not specified. Saved model estimates are supporting evidence, not independent votes.

THE HOLD, NOT JUST THE CLAIM

What comes after this week?

Future FF estimates are separate from the current-week pickup call. Totals describe the player, not extra points for your roster. Weeks 15–18 are a calendar view; your league’s playoff weeks may differ. Green highlights the higher displayed projection when both outlooks are known; ties and incomplete comparisons stay neutral.

Window	Brenton Strange	Brian Thomas Jr.
Next 3 weeks	19.1 FPHigher projection3/3 scheduled games projected	7.6 FP3/3 scheduled games projected
Remaining regular-season schedule	72.0 FPHigher projection11/11 scheduled games projected	28.9 FP11/11 scheduled games projected
Weeks 15–18	27.1 FPHigher projection4/4 scheduled games projected	10.9 FP4/4 scheduled games projected

Weekly pickup outlook

Week	Brenton Strange	Brian Thomas Jr.
Week 8	6.5 FPvs INDHigher projection	2.5 FPvs IND
Week 9	6.2 FPvs BALHigher projection	2.5 FPvs BAL
Week 10	6.4 FPvs TENHigher projection	2.6 FPvs TEN
Week 11	6.3 FPvs NYGHigher projection	2.5 FPvs NYG
Week 12	6.5 FPvs TENHigher projection	2.7 FPvs TEN
Week 13	6.6 FPvs CHIHigher projection	2.6 FPvs CHI
Week 14	6.3 FPvs PITHigher projection	2.5 FPvs PIT
Week 15	6.2 FPvs HOUHigher projection	2.6 FPvs HOU
Week 16	6.9 FPvs DALHigher projection	2.9 FPvs DAL
Week 17	7.6 FPvs WASHigher projection	2.8 FPvs WAS
Week 18	6.4 FPvs INDHigher projection	2.5 FPvs IND

Outlook updated Oct 30, 1:10 PM ET. Health and roles can change.

PICKUP RANKINGS · FLEX

More options. The same scale.

FF–Monte Carlo midpoint order within this pickup pool. The window connects two estimates; it is not a confidence interval. Rankings may differ from the FF points-only call above.

6.2 FP8.1 FP

Brenton StrangeTE · 48.2% rostered
7.2
DeMario DouglasWR · 44.8% rostered
7.2
Caleb DouglasWR · 28.3% rostered
7.1
Rico DowdleRB · 64.3% rostered
6.9
Khalil ShakirWR · 60.0% rostered
6.7

What about Brenton Strange versus these pickups?

TE · Week 8

Brenton Strange6.5projected FP

Mike Gesicki5.4projected FP

Compare the pickups ↗TE · Week 8

Brenton Strange6.5projected FP

Chig Okonkwo4.8projected FP

Compare the pickups ↗FLEX · Week 8

Khalil Shakir6.5projected FP

Brenton Strange6.5projected FP

Compare the pickups ↗FLEX · Week 8

Brenton Strange6.5projected FP

Malik Washington6.3projected FP

Compare the pickups ↗

More FLEX pickup decisions

Recorded comparison interest informs the order where available, followed by nearby projected options. These are not claims that both players are free agents in your league.

WR · Week 8

Caleb Douglas8.1projected FP

Malik Washington6.3projected FP

Compare the pickups ↗WR · Week 8