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Week 13 Fantasy Picks: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Patriots vs Chargers

By Larry Rupp

James White's fantasy outlook paints him as a great FLEX play this week.
James White's fantasy outlook paints him as a great FLEX play this week. / Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
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The New England Patriots (5-6) will look to improve to a .500 record on the season when they travel out west to take on the Los Angeles Chargers (3-8) in Week 13 NFL action. This is expected to be a close game as the Patriots are just 1-point road favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL betting odds.

If you need help with your fantasy football lineups, here's some start 'em, sit 'em advice for the Week 13 Patriots-Chargers showdown.

James White Fantasy

Start James White, RB, New England Patriots: James White has quickly become a valuable PPR running back since Rex Burkhead suffered a season-ending injury just a few weeks ago. Over the past two weeks, White has caught 7 of his 10 targets for 63 yards while also rushing 37 yards on 10 carries and scoring 2 rushing touchdowns. Those type of numbers scream FLEX upside moving forward as it seems he will continue to be a vital part of this Patriots' offense. The Chargers have already given up 3 receiving touchdowns to opposing running backs this season (T-No. 21 in the NFL). As long as White continues to see upwards of 10 touches a game, he is worth a spot in your starting lineup.

Hunter Henry Fantasy

Start Hunter Henry, TE, Los Angeles Chargers: The fantasy football playoffs are right around the corner and Hunter Henry is performing like a top-five tight end right now. Last week, he saw a season-high 10 targets and hauled in 7 of them for 67 yards. In fact, Henry has now seen at least 6 targets in each of the past four games and has scored a touchdown in two of his last three games. He has become a trusted target for rookie quarterback Justin Herbert and that should continue this week. Slide him into your starting tight end spot and don't think twice about it.

Cam Newton Fantasy

Sit Cam Newton, QB, New England Patriots: Cam Newton struggled throwing the ball last week and has simply become dependent on his rushing abilities to be relevant from a fantasy football perspective. He has only thrown for over 200 yards in three of his 10 games played and has just 4 passing touchdowns on the season. He has made up for his struggles in the passing game with 9 rushing touchdowns, but it's hard to bank on that happening every Sunday. This may seem like a good spot for Newton on paper, but the risk that comes with relying on him is just not worth it. There are a lot of quarterbacks with more favorable matchups this week that have higher floors.

Mike Williams Fantasy

Sit Mike Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers: Mike Williams is the definition of a big play wide receiver and that doesn't always bode well for fantasy purposes. For example, he caught 4 of his 7 targets for 72 yards and a touchdown in Week 11, but he came back with a weak performance in Week 12 hauling in 3 of 5 targets for 26 yards. You simply never know which kind of performance you are going to get. It'll once again come down to making big plays this week as the Patriots' defense has only given up 121 receptions to opposing wide receivers all season (T-No. 2 in the NFL). As long as you have other options, keep Williams on your bench this week.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.