D’Andre Swift is coming off a very interesting season that saw him revive his fantasy football value a bit but not fully answer the questions fantasy managers had about him long-term. Now set to be the Chicago Bears‘ RB1, how should dynasty managers handle Swift going forward?
D’Ande Swift’s Dynasty Outlook
Once upon a time, there was a debate about whether Swift was the overall RB1 in dynasty football. That feels so long ago.
Typically, the top running backs in dynasty are young, talented, and coming off promising seasons. That was exactly how we described Swift following a rookie season that saw him average 14.6 fantasy points per game. His strong debut set the stage for a big sophomore-year leap.
In his second season, we got progression. It wasn’t quite to the ranks of the elite, but Swift averaged 16.1 points per game and finished as the overall RB8. At that point, he had two quality years to his name and was trending in the right direction. As a result, talks of Swift as the dynasty RB1 started to emerge.
While his on-field performance was undeniable over his first two seasons, Swift’s 2021 season was marred by the same issues as 2020 — he got hurt toward the end of the year.
In 2022, Swift’s seemingly annual injury came early. He sprained his ankle in Week 3 and missed the next month of the season. Yet, even when he returned, he couldn’t fully shake the injury.
Swift’s role was never the same after that. He played fewer than 40% of the snaps in most games and saw single-digit carries in all but two games following his Week 8 return to action. The lone saving grace was he still saw a 15.1% target share.
Following the 2022 season, in a move quite uncommon these days, the Detroit Lions had seen enough and were ready to move on. Rather than wait for Swift’s rookie deal to expire, they traded Swift to the Philadelphia Eagles after drafting a younger, faster, more explosive version of Swift in the first round, Jahmyr Gibbs.
A big part of what gives running backs fantasy value, particularly in dynasty leagues, is how much their NFL teams have invested in them. Swift being a former first-round pick means he will get more chances in the NFL. However, it was the Lions who made the initial heavy investment.
The Eagles gave up very little to acquire Swift. Therefore, they had no incentive to push him as their RB1 unless his play justified doing so. That made his valuation a huge challenge in dynasty. In Week 1, it sure seemed like Kenneth Gainwell was the guy, as Swift played just 29% of the snaps, handling one carry and two targets.
Fortunately for Swift (and unfortunately for Gainwell), the incumbent was injured in the season’s opening game, giving Swift his opportunity — which he took full advantage of.
From that point forward, Swift was the starter. He played in every game for the first time in his career (excluding a mostly meaningless Week 18 game).
While Swift undoubtedly outperformed expectations, his downward trend continued. His 12.5 fantasy points per game marked a third consecutive year of a decrease. This occurred despite him setting career highs in carries (229) and rushing yards (1,049).
The biggest issue was Swift’s passing-game role. It seems strange for a team to acquire Swift and make him a two-down grinder, but that’s mostly what the Eagles did. They used Gainwell as their primary passing-down back, resulting in a career-low 10% target share for Swift. But even that wasn’t really reflective of how little he was used.
Swift saw 49 total targets on the season, 27 of which came in the first six games. That means over his final 10 games, he was targeted a mere 22 times.
Combine that with the fact that Swift handled just five goal-line carries all season and quite literally was never going to see a carry from the 1-yard line while playing with Jalen Hurts, and it’s easy to understand why his “bounce-back” season wasn’t as good as it may have seemed in real-time.
Swift’s Dynasty Ranking
Where does Swift sit in the dynasty RB landscape after changing teams ahead of the 2024 season? Here are Katz’s latest rankings, examining where Swift lands in comparison to other top names at the position.
1) Breece Hall | NYJ
2) Bijan Robinson | ATL
3) Jahmyr Gibbs | DET
4) Christian McCaffrey | SF
5) Jonathan Taylor | IND
6) De’Von Achane | MIA
7) Saquon Barkley | PHI
8) Josh Jacobs | GB
9) Travis Etienne Jr. | JAX
10) Rachaad White | TB
11) Kyren Williams | LAR
12) Isiah Pacheco | KC
13) Kenneth Walker III | SEA
14) James Cook | BUF
15) D’Andre Swift | CHI
16) Javonte Williams | DEN
17) Brian Robinson Jr. | WAS
18) Derrick Henry | BAL
19) Tony Pollard | TEN
20) David Montgomery | DET
21) Rhamondre Stevenson | NE
22) Joe Mixon | HOU
23) Alvin Kamara | NO
24) Najee Harris | PIT
25) Jaylen Warren | PIT
Should You Trade Swift in Dynasty?
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Swift is now entering his fifth NFL season but is still just 25 years old. Although he was used primarily as a runner last season, his overall lack of volume makes him a young 25.
The lack of receiving usage also doesn’t mean Swift’s suddenly a bad pass catcher. Receiving ability tends to age better, meaning he could remain effective for another 5-6 years. There’s plenty of tread left on these tires.
KEEP READING: Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Value Chart
It’s great when we have running backs in high-powered offenses, but volume is king in fantasy football. Before free agency, I wrote: “Given how the Eagles used Swift, as well as their general outlook on running backs, I don’t know if fantasy managers should want him to remain in Philly.” I guess it’s fair to say I got what I asked for. Maybe …
Swift signing a three-year deal with any team is good for his long-term value. The Bears certainly don’t feel like the best possible landing spot, but it may end up being quite advantageous to Swift’s fantasy value.
It was difficult to envision any team making Swift a three-down back, but fantasy managers would much rather he be the 8-10-carries-a-game guy who plays on all passing downs than the primary rusher. Remember, a target is worth 2.5-3x more than a carry.
In a backfield with Khalil Herbert (for one more year) and Roschon Johnson, Swift is very clearly going to be the lead back. Although Johnson was utilized as the passing-down back last season, Swift is far superior in that role.
It’s unclear who will share the early-down work with Swift. It also doesn’t really matter. Whatever percentage of carries Swift cedes to Herbert or Johnson will be the same regardless of who gets them. The opportunity Swift receives in Chicago should be at least as good if not better than he saw in Philly.
More importantly for Swift’s fantasy value is a potentially vastly improved offense. The Bears are widely expected to move on from Justin Fields. The prospect of Swift playing with Fields may seem exciting at first, but mobile quarterbacks aren’t great for pass-catching running backs as they don’t check down, opting to run instead.
Assuming the Bears do what everyone expects and select Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick, Chicago may suddenly be an appealing spot for fantasy.
They already have DJ Moore. They added Keenan Allen and Swift. Williams would not only be an upgrade from Fields in terms of offensive proficiency, but he would also likely inject as many as an additional 100 passes into the offense as Williams is not going to run nearly as much as Fields did.
If you’re looking to trade Swift, now is not the time. Once the Bears make the move to Williams official, the hype will start to grow. Wait for the inevitable training camp reports on how Swift is being used all over the field and looks incredible. I’m not saying you need to move Swift, but if you’re going to, August will be the time to do so.
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