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What to do with Damien Harris, Rex Burkhead, James White in Week 11 fantasy football

We go over the fantasy football outlook of Damien Harris, Rex Burkhead, James White ahead of the Patriots Week 11 matchup against the Texans.

By Ameer Tyree Updated
ex Burkhead #34 of the New England Patriots runs the ball in for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens at Gillette Stadium on November 15, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Game status: Sony Michel is INACTIVE for Week 11. Damien Harris is ACTIVE.

Gameday update: Even with Michel being active off of IR, second-year running back Damien Harris should still be the RB1 going forward, until otherwise. Harris has been a godsend for fantasy football managers over the last few weeks, which should continue against a Texans’ defense that is allowing 25.7 fantasy points to opposing RBs this season. ESPN projects Harris to score 10.8 points, while White and Burkhead to score 3.6 and 8.7 points.

Saturday update: The Patriots have activated running back Sony Michel off injured reserve. He is eligible to play on Sunday, but his game status is still unclear. He lowers the ceilings for Harris, Burkhead, and White, but this first game back likely won’t have a huge role.

The New England Patriots have fewer passing touchdowns than any team in the NFL and has had to depend on pounding the ground to stay in games this season. Cam Newton is usually the player who finishes Patriots drives with touchdowns, but their trio of running backs have proven to be valuable fantasy assets as well. Let’s take a look at who could be New England’s most dangerous option out of the backfield in Week 11 against the Texans.

Fantasy Football analysis: Patriots RBs Damien Harris, Rex Burkhead, James White

The Texans have given up more rushing yards (1,507) than any team in the NFL, so this could be a big matchup for Harris. The second-year back has tallied double-digits in carries for four straight games and reached career-highs in carries (22) and rushing yards (121) against the stout Baltimore Ravens in Week 11. He hasn’t contributed much as a pass catcher but his consistent touches give him a high ceiling. Burkhead and White have taken a back seat to Harris lately but Burkhead has an edge over White. Both backs are involved in the passing game but White only has 16 carries on the season to Burkhead’s 63.

Fantasy Start/Sit Recommendation

Start Harris over Burkhead and White.

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