If you started Chicago Bears RB D’Andre Swift this week, then the box score at halftime will have left you scratching your head. Despite being listed as the starter on the Bears’ depth chart, Swift has just six yards from eight carries and is clearly splitting touches with the other backs on the roster.
Should fantasy football managers be concerned about what this means for Swift, or is it potentially just a game-specific issue?
Should Fantasy Managers Panic About D’Andre Swift?
If you try to tell someone that you feel good about what we have seen from Swift in the first two and a half games, they are unlikely to believe you. Through two games, Swift had just 48 yards on 24 attempts, averaging two yards per carry. It is hard to lower a number that awful, but through the first half of Week 3, Swift is doing exactly that.
Perhaps of more concern for fantasy managers is the current split in terms of carries in Week 3. At the half, Swift had eight carries and one target, but Roschon Johnson had six carries and three targets, while Khalil Herbert had four carries. Swift is still the leader in terms of rushing attempts, but Johnson and Herbert have combined for more than 50% of the carries by RBs in the first half.
There is not much to be positive about here with Swift, but not all of it is because of him and as much because of the defense he is playing behind. Entering this week, Swift was averaging 1.1 yards before contact per attempt, per TruMedia. That is significantly below the 2.8 yards before contact per attempt he had last year behind the Philadelphia Eagles offensive line.
The other concern is that Swift is also not making plays in the same way he was last year. Before this season, Swift averaged at least 1.5 yards after contact, and he is at 0.8 in 2024. We saw that on display in Week 3, with Swift often losing yards after being handed the ball and trying too hard to make plays.
What is D’Andre Swift and the #Bears offense doing? pic.twitter.com/id9DOXck7q
— Jordan Sigler (@JordanSig) September 22, 2024
These sorts of things are extremely concerning for fantasy managers because two things need to be fixed if Swift’s fantasy value is to be salvaged in 2024.