D’Andre Swift is a versatile running back who was finally featured in a meaningful way last season with the Philadelphia Eagles (268 touches in 16 games). His rookie deal has now expired, and that means he’s likely to be on the move — where could he land, and how will that answer impact how he is valued in fantasy football for 2024?
Potential Landing Spots For D’Andre Swift
New York Giants
With Saquon Barkley on his way out of town, the Giants need an alpha in their backfield. Swift gave us proof of concept last season as he set a career-high in rush attempts by 78 and matched his career average in yards per carry with that increase in volume (4.6).
That said, he did fade a little bit as the season went on, and that is a concern if he joins a team like the Giants that isn’t positioned to win now and thus could limit his carry count based on game scripts.
- Games 1-8: 4.9 yards per carry, 19.3% of touches were receptions
- Games 9-16: 4.3 yards per carry, 8.9% of touches were receptions
The idea behind Swift is role and versatility, but if the versatility fades with attrition and the traditional RB role is in question due to limitations around him, this isn’t the perfect spot. For my money, Barkley is a better back than Swift, and he averaged just 4.3 yards per touch a season ago in this Giants system, a level of efficiency that I’d consider something of a ceiling for Swift should he sign.
The lack of competition and the fact that he should still have tread on his tires (802 career touches) would result in Swift being ranked as a weekly starter for me, but banking on the 1,263 yards and eight touchdowns that he gave us with the Eagles isn’t a realistic projection.
Baltimore Ravens
Is it even a free-agent RB article if the Baltimore Ravens aren’t mentioned? Their versatile offense is a perfect fit for most, and Swift is no exception. Swift is coming off of a successful season with a mobile quarterback, and I think he’d be able to copy-paste those numbers for Todd Monken’s Ravens who will likely be without the services of Gus Edwards (UFA) this season and Keaton Mitchell (torn ACL) for an extended period.
Last season was the first of his career in which Swift’s tackled-for-loss count was greater than his 10-plus-yard carry count. That is a bit discouraging given the quality of the offensive line he is leaving, but the gravity that Lamar Jackson creates should open up interior running lanes in a different way than Jalen Hurts.
I’d also happily bet on the “over” on the 2.2 red-zone carries per game that Swift averaged last season, as this Ravens offense is just as capable of that as Philadelphia … but without a goal-line vulture as a signal caller.
Swift landing in Baltimore would put him into the top-15 conversation at the position, as I would have his weekly ceiling (assuming the clear RB1 role) ranking inside my top 10.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders will be in the RB market with Josh Jacobs trending out of town, but they are the landing spot we as a community are rooting against. The franchise is clearly intrigued by the potential of Zamir White (2022 fourth-round pick), and with him on a cheap rookie deal, it’s hard to imagine him going away.
Combine the lack of role upside with the lack of clarity at the quarterback position, and this is a destination that would have me actively getting out of the Swift business.
That said, it’s the offseason, and I’m not here to completely rain on the parade, so there is this positive note that I’ll share:
- Swift on grass last season: 4.9 ypc, TD every 34.4 carries
- Swift on turf: 3.6 ypc, zero TDs on 57 carries
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The Raiders insist on grass being grown outside of the stadium and patched in on game day, so at least his playing surface would be favorable based on his 2023 production.
Am I grasping for straws with that? Maybe a little — all parties involved would prefer that Swift takes his talents to a ready-made offense, and if not that, at least to a backfield that he can definitively call his own.
