Who should I pick up: Brian Thomas Jr. or Michael Mayer?

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

THE PICKUP CALL

For this week: Michael Mayer

If both are available and you need Week 8 points in a FLEX slot, pick up Michael Mayer over Brian Thomas Jr.: 4.1 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, 12:49 PM ET · Standard

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

THIS-WEEK PICKUP

Michael Mayer

TE · LV · vs NYJ

Stats & schedule ›

4.1FF projected FP

Nov 1, 1:00 PM ET

23.8%rostered on ESPN-0.56 pp recent change

WHY THIS PICKUP?

Fit the move to the job.

Michael Mayer is the stronger immediate points option. Michael Mayer 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.

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: 2.5 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

Michael Mayer

Michael Mayer projects for 4.1 Standard points against NYJ this week. His recent scoring average is 4.3 FP. The defensive matchup reduces the FF estimate by 2.5%. He is rostered in 23.8% of ESPN leagues, with a reported decline of 0.56 percentage points. Roster trends measure manager activity, not a guarantee of playing time or availability in your league.

Fortified Fantasy: 4.1 FP
ESPN: 3.9 FP
Sleeper: 4.2 FP
FantasyPros: 4.2 FP
Boosted Trees: 4.7 FP
Workload: 4.6 FP
Monte Carlo: 4.8 FP

Boosted Trees: Experimental · saved Oct 27, 12:03 AM ET
Workload: Experimental · includes FantasyPros stat inputs · saved Oct 28, 9:08 PM ET
Monte Carlo: Experimental · central 80%: -0.1–11.5 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	Brian Thomas Jr.	Michael Mayer
Next 3 weeks	7.7 FP3/3 scheduled games projected	11.1 FPHigher projection3/3 scheduled games projected
Remaining regular-season schedule	28.9 FP11/11 scheduled games projected	38.6 FPHigher projection10/10 scheduled games projected · 1 bye
Weeks 15–18	10.9 FP4/4 scheduled games projected	16.3 FPHigher projection4/4 scheduled games projected

Weekly pickup outlook

Week	Brian Thomas Jr.	Michael Mayer
Week 8	2.5 FPvs IND	4.1 FPvs NYJHigher projection
Week 9	2.5 FPvs BAL	3.7 FPvs SFHigher projection
Week 10	2.6 FPvs TEN	3.3 FPvs SEAHigher projection
Week 11	2.5 FPvs NYG	3.4 FPvs DENHigher projection
Week 12	2.7 FPvs TEN	3.7 FPvs CLEHigher projection
Week 13	2.6 FPvs CHIHigher projection	BYE
Week 14	2.5 FPvs PIT	4.1 FPvs LACHigher projection
Week 15	2.6 FPvs HOU	3.5 FPvs DENHigher projection
Week 16	2.9 FPvs DAL	4.2 FPvs TENHigher projection
Week 17	2.8 FPvs WAS	4.7 FPvs ARIHigher projection
Week 18	2.5 FPvs IND	3.8 FPvs KCHigher projection

Outlook updated Oct 30, 12:53 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
7.1
Caleb DouglasWR · 28.3% rostered
7.1
Rico DowdleRB · 64.3% rostered
6.9
Khalil ShakirWR · 60.0% rostered
6.7

What about Michael Mayer versus these pickups?

TE · Week 8

Michael Mayer4.1projected FP

Mike Gesicki5.4projected FP

Compare the pickups ↗TE · Week 8

Michael Mayer4.1projected FP

Tyler Higbee4.6projected FP

Compare the pickups ↗TE · Week 8

Jake Ferguson4.2projected FP

Michael Mayer4.1projected FP

Compare the pickups ↗FLEX · Week 8

Michael Mayer4.1projected FP

Keaton Mitchell3.7projected 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