Bears News: 2024 Fantasy Football Preview: D’Andre Swift |
With training camp and the preseason starting shortly for the Chicago Bears, it is also time for fantasy football season. While the Bears have not had many fantasy football options in previous years, this season promises to be quite different with numerous elite receivers, a duo of talented tight ends, and a talented running back.
D’Andre Swift is coming off his best season, his first 1,000-yard season coupled with 214 receiving yards. He finished the 2023 season with a total of six touchdowns, which is not promising for fantasy owners. However, that performance should be taken with a grain of salt, given that he is in a completely different offensive scheme under the Bears’ new offensive coordinator, Shane Waldron. This offseason, Swift received a three-year, $24 million contract with the Chicago Bears. In addition, he was the first player signed during free agency despite numerous other elite running backs like Josh Jacobs and Saquon Barkley being available for Chicago. Thus, it is a clear sign that Swift will be the starting back going into the 2024 season. Going back to the 2023 season when Waldron was with the Seattle Seahawks, their starting running back, Kenneth Walker III had a total of nine touchdowns in the 15 games he played in. According to Pro Football Reference, Walker III finished No. 16 in fantasy points for running backs compared to Swift who finished No. 23. This could show an uptick in the number of touchdowns Swift could score playing under Waldron this upcoming season. Another positive for Swift is that offenses generally rely more on a running back when they have a rookie quarterback at the helm. This will be the case right out the gate for Chicago with Caleb Williams already announced as the starter. If Williams is going to be successful, similar to the way Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud was for the Houston Texans as a rookie, he will need a reliable running back like Stroud had in Devin Singletary. The difference between Walker III and Singletary versus Swift is that Swift is a shifty running back who gains yardage more through his elusiveness than running through defenders. Therefore, Swift has an additional benefit in points per reception (PPR) leagues because he has the potential to catch a lot of passes out of the backfield. This should be something Swift is comfortable with, given he averaged -1.4 yards before the catch last season while averaging 6.8 yards after the catch last season, showing he has a tendency to gain yards from the backfield. One final benefit playing in Swift’s favor is that he is not expected to have much competition in the backfield. Last season, while Khalil Herbert was initially seen as the starting back, Chicago’s running back room became a revolving door that made any Bears back difficult to keep on a fantasy roster. Right now, the Bears have five running backs signed to a contract - Swift, Herbert, Travis Homer, Roschon Johnson and Ian Wheeler. None of the other four backs pose much of a threat in regard to cutting into Swift’s snap count. Herbert, Homer, and Johnson combined for 963 rushing yards last season, while Wheeler is an undrafted free agent. By the time the 53-man roster is finalized, they will not all be on the roster. Realistically, Swift is not a No. 1 running back for a fantasy roster. In fact, Yahoo! Sports’ most recent fantasy running back rankings have Swift at No. 25 overall. Therefore, he could easily be a No. 2 back or someone to keep on the bench for fantasy owners. He definitely is someone who will be drafted in all fantasy drafts no matter the size of the league, particularly because of the enormous upside he has.
