James White

Week 2 at Seattle Seahawks
It was a slow Week 1 for James White, who totaled just 52 scoreless yards on eight touches. The primary reason for White's low volume is the new offensive scheme in New England that places a heavy emphasis on the power run game and utilizing Cam Newton's mobility on designed runs. Based on what we saw last week, White will have a tough time being a startable fantasy asset in games with a positive or neutral game script. However, this week's matchup against the Seahawks makes White interesting in PPR leagues as Seattle should be able to score enough points to demand more passing from Newton. White is on the RB3/4 borderline for Week 2.

Fantasy Upside
James White logged another solid season as the preferred pass-catching running back in New England last year. White finished sixth among running backs in receptions with 72 and turned that into 645 yards, good for third at the position. White has steady hands and the trust of Bill Belichick and Offensive Coordinator, Josh McDaniels, on his side as he enters his seventh season. White’s outlook is bolstered by the addition of Cam Newton at quarterback, who should improve the overall offensive output in New England and demonstrated the willingness to target backs out of the backfield with frequency during his time in Carolina with Christian McCaffrey. Despite New England’s committee approach at running back, White should be able to shake off the loss of Tom Brady and have some value in PPR leagues this season.

Fantasy Downside
White cannot be counted on for any rushing output in a given week and there is more uncertainty surrounding his receiving role than ever before. He has never cleared 100 carries in a single season and will lose the vast majority of early-down work to Sony Michel or another member of the Patriots’ backfield. The Patriots also appear likely to adopt a more run-centric offensive philosophy after the departure of Tom Brady. This sort of philosophical shift would shrink White’s role, who thrived when he was being peppered with short targets from Brady, particularly in a hurry-up or negative game script situation. There is no guarantee White will see those situations as often with Newton under center, and he has never been a high-volume player in the Patriots’ offense to begin with. In the post-Brady era, White’s floor is lower than it has ever been before.

2020 Bottom Line
White is only playable in PPR leagues for fantasy purposes. Even in those leagues, he will struggle to produce when the right circumstances do not come to fruition during the game. White is currently being drafted as an RB3 in PPR leagues and should be playable as a flex in the right matchups.

Week 16 vs Buffalo Bills
James White was the fantasy RB16 last week against the Bengals, despite being out-touched nearly three-to-one by teammate Sony Michel. White's reception and receiving yardage are inherently more valuable in 0.5 PPR formats, and only Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara have averaged more targets per game than James White's 6.7. White is one of Tom Brady's most reliable receivers on an offense that continues to search for production from wide receivers not named Julian Edelman.

The Bills have done well to limit the points scored by their opponents, as only one of the past seven teams to face them has scored more than 20 points, and that was Baltimore. They have allowed some healthy reception and receiving yardage totals recently to the likes of Kareem Hunt, Patrick Laird, and Ezekiel Elliott, none of whom have White's level of skill as a receiver out of the backfield. White's a strong play as a high-end RB2 on his receiving volume alone, but his recent uptick in rushing usage just further raises his floor.