D’Andre Swift was nothing short of special for the fantasy football managers who had the cojones to play him on Thursday Night Football against the Minnesota Vikings. When all was said and done, he had 31 touches for 181 yards and a touchdown.
You could argue he was even more impressive than the numbers suggest, so should you be looking to acquire the talented Philadelphia Eagles back?
Should Fantasy Football Managers Trade For D’Andre Swift?
Our fantasy football world isn’t that much different than Wall Street. We work hard to project the future and look to capitalize on inefficiencies. Sometimes that means loading up on shares that you believe are destined to peak in the future, and other times, that means lessening your exposure to something that you feel has already hit top value.
D'Andre Swift ran for a career-high 175 yards and a TD on 28 carries in his first start for the Eagles (+41 rushing yards over expected).
Swift recorded the 8th-highest success rate (64.3%) by any player with 25+ carries in a game since 2016.
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— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 15, 2023
The ladder is where we currently stand on Swift. Yes, the primetime performance was spectacular and looked every bit legit, but the fact of the matter is that all the stars aligned for that to happen. He was thrust into a lead role due to an injury to Kenneth Gainwell (ribs), facing an iffy run defense that was traveling on a short week.
If that wasn’t enough, the game script worked perfectly, as the Eagles led throughout. His spot in our PFN Consensus Rankings will be fluid, but expecting him to consistently be a top-20 RB is optimistic.
What Should Fantasy Managers Look To Acquire When Trading Swift?
For me, this is the better question. We are talking about a running back who didn’t have 10 carries in consecutive games last season and, for his entire career, has never handled 15 rushes in consecutive contests. The talent and situation are such that he can fetch a pretty penny at this very moment in time, and if I roster him, I’m exploring my options.
The Eagles play back-to-back-to-back games against top-15 run defenses (in 2022), and with them getting a mini-bye this week (played on Thursday in Week 2 and Monday in Week 3), the odds of Philadelphia deploying a full-blown RB committee for those less than advantageous spots are likely.
If I have Swift rostered right now and am discussing trades, here are some RB/WR names that I’d be looking to target either in a straight-up deal or as a part of a bigger package:
- Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions
- Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
- James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills
- Mike Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
- DJ Moore, WR, Chicago Bears