Kenneth Walker III and D’Andre Swift have both largely enjoyed secure lead-back roles for the first half of the regular season in their respective offenses, and each faces a stout defense in Week 9.
Which of these talented options should fantasy football managers consider rolling with on their lineups?
Should You Start Kenneth Walker III or D’Andre Swift This Week?
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, the PFN Consensus Rankings say that Swift is the player to start. His projected 16.5 fantasy points in full PPR formats include a projection of 40.4 rushing yards, 4.7 receptions, and 37.8 yards. While Walker’s projection of 59.4 rushing yards far outpaces Swift’s in that category, the Seattle Seahawks running back only projects for 2.2 receptions and 13.6 receiving yards.
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My ranking for the two running backs in Week 9 aligns with this projection, as I see Swift as a better overall play with a slightly safer workload. The Philadelphia Eagles back also has been the more efficient of the two and a more frequently utilized asset in the passing game, further strengthening his case.
Kenneth Walker III’s Fantasy Outlook This Week
Following a standout rookie campaign in 2022, Walker opened his sophomore 2023 season as the unquestioned lead back in Seattle, with Rashaad Penny allowed to depart in free agency.
After a modest 12-carry workload in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams due mostly to game script, Walker logged at least 17 carries in each of the next five contests.
However, he plummeted to just eight rush attempts in Week 8 against the Cleveland Browns, though he parlayed those into an impressive 66 yards. Rookie backfield mate Zach Charbonnet had five carries, but he out-snapped Walker by a 31-24 margin.
While that could very well have been a one-week anomaly, Walker’s Week 9 outlook is still on the dimmer side in terms of his fantasy prospects. A road matchup against the Baltimore Ravens is never palatable for the opposing offense, and Baltimore comes in allowing a modest 98.3 rushing yards per game at home.
Walker has topped out at 105 rushing yards in terms of a single-game high this season, and it took him 26 carries to get there in Week 7 against the Arizona Cardinals; otherwise, he’s been at 79 yards or fewer in all but one other game.
His matchup Sunday could certainly lead to one of his lower-percentile outcomes, especially if Seattle falls behind significantly and Charbonnet is called on for more passing-down work.
D’Andre Swift’s Fantasy Outlook This Week
In his first season in Philadelphia following three often frustrating Lions campaigns to open his career, Swift has looked like a near-seamless fit in the Eagles offense. The 2020 second-round pick is averaging a crisp 4.9 yards per carry over his first eight games while also contributing a 28-135-1 line through the air.
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Swift’s workload has encouragingly been steady, and he’s remained healthy, a nice departure from the two most confounding factors of his tenure in Detroit. The versatile back has seen double-digit carries in each game since Week 2, and although Jalen Hurts has vultured plenty of goal-line opportunities via the infamous Brotherly Shove play, matters may be evolving a bit on that front.
Swift scored his third rushing touchdown of the season in Week 8 against the Washington Commanders out of that formation, with Hurts faking his trademark surge into the teeth of the defense before executing a toss pitch to Swift, who scampered in for the score.
This week, the Eagles could once again try some different tactics when near the goal line, as they face a second straight division opponent, the Dallas Cowboys, who studies them intently throughout the season.
Dallas has allowed 138.3 rushing yards per game on the road at 4.5 yards per carry, nearly double the 69.7 per contest the Cowboys have surrendered at home. Dallas has also conceded five total touchdowns to running backs (four rushing, one receiving) through seven games, and Swift has logged an impressive 23 red-zone touches in eight games.
Additionally, with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb putting on quite the aerial display in Week 8, the Eagles may look to keep the ball out of the hands of the blistering hot duo as much as possible.
A heavy dose of Swift in a favorable matchup would do just that while also slowing down Dallas’ fearsome pass rush.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!