New England Patriots - Fantasy News

Super Bowl DFS Picks: James White

by Tom Joyce

1/28/18

NFL

New England Patriots

James White

The New England Patriots have a healthy mix of running backs, but none of them have been on the team as long as James White. He already has two Super Bowl victories to his name and is best known for what he did in the Big Game last season.

Now, the question is whether he can do it again.

Why Should I Start James White?

If anyone wants to know what White is capable of achieving in the Super Bowl, just look at last year. In New England’s comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons, White was arguably the most valuable player on the field. He set a pair of Big Game records—one for receptions (14) and another for points scored (20). Additionally, he scored the first overtime touchdown in Super Bowl history. During the win, White amassed 110 rushing yards.

This season, he has been in virtually the same role as he was in when he had that monstrous Super Bowl performance. He does not get the most carries, but he is a valuable asset to the Patriots passing game. In each of the past three seasons, he has exceeded 400 receiving yards and has averaged four touchdown catches. In other words, he has been a very serviceable receiver for the Pats. This should help him get some extra looks on Super Bowl Sunday because the Philadelphia Eagles defense is not great against the pass.

During the regular season, the Birds allowed 227.5 passing yards per game, which ranked 17th among 32 NFL teams. Since the Patriots have one of the top quarterbacks in the game in Tom Brady, this is probably how they will do most of their damage on offense. It would not be surprising to see White be a big part of that once again—especially given how well he played in last year’s bout.

New England’s running back corps has also been hurting late in the season. Mike Gillislee and Rex Burkhead have missed time with injuries. Although they may play in the Super Bowl, there is the possibility that they are not at 100 percent health, which would lead to White getting even more reps out of the backfield.

Why Should I Bench James White?

White is a one-dimensional running back. He has never rushed for even 200 yards in a season. He got the least carries of any of the Patriots four running backs. Plus, he is going up against a team that is in this game in large part because of its success stopping the run. The Eagles have the best run defense in the NFL, statistically speaking, as they allowed just 79.1 rushing yards per game during the regular season. So even if White does get some opportunities on the ground, he still probably would not be very effective.

While White has been a valuable pass catcher, the Patriots have other receivers in the mix, including Brandin Cooks, Danny Amendola and possibly Rob Gronkowski. Plus, Chris Hogan also receives a fair share of reps. White should be in the mix for receptions, but just because he had a big game in the Super Bowl last season, it does not guarantee the same is going to happen this time around.

Should I Make James White a Super Bowl Fantasy Starter?

It would probably be a good idea to employ White. If the Eagles run defense is so stout, then perhaps the Patriots will utilize someone at running back who can do more than just run the ball. Of those options, White is the most appealing. He showed what he could do on the big stage last season. Even if he does not emulate those stats once again, there is no reason why he cannot at least have a productive game.

Super Bowl Fantasy Prediction: James White Over 7.0 DFPs