Following three straight dud weeks from Chicago Bears running back D’Andre Swift, he finally made his 2024 breakout for patient fantasy football managers.
However, after his impressive Week 4 performance, should fantasy managers keep Swift or trade him while his value is high? We’re here to break that debate down.
Should Fantasy Football Managers Trade D’Andre Swift?
Throughout the first three weeks of the 2024 season, Swift has been a bit disappointing for fantasy managers who drafted the newly acquired Bears running back. Chicago added Swift this offseason after his first career 1,000-yard season. However, one major difference between the 2023 Philadelphia Eagles and the 2024 Bears is the talent across both offensive lines.
The 2023 Eagles had one of the most talented offensive lines throughout modern NFL history, while the 2024 Bears aren’t even in the same stratosphere as that unit. And it’s shown in Swift’s game this season— especially through the first three weeks of action.
- Week 1: 10 rushes, 30 rushing yards, one target, zero receptions
- Week 2: 14 rushes, 18 rushing yards, five targets, four receptions, 24 receiving yards
- Week 3: 13 rushes, 20 rushing yards, four targets, two receptions, 22 receiving yards
Then, in Week 4, Chicago faced the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at Solider Field, and Swift had the best game of his career by a large margin.
- Week 4: 16 rushes, 93 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown seven targets, seven receptions, 72 receiving yards
His Week 4 performance was what we were expecting from Swift the week before, considering Chicago’s matchup with the Indianapolis Colts’ porous rushing defense.
However, that didn’t happen.
The Bears did capitalize on a mismatch this week, though, as the Rams were one of the worst rushing defenses in the league through three weeks. And that continued in Week 4, as the Bears totaled 131 rushing yards. For context, the Bears rushed for 155 yards through their first two games this season.
The Bears averaged 3.0 yards per rush heading into today — 2nd-worst through Week 3.
Today, they’re averaging 6.1 YPC. 😤pic.twitter.com/mXZBdnLBkv
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) September 29, 2024
So, when saying Swift is a trustworthy target for the remainder of the season, there’s not a whole lot of confidence that he will be. However, after Week 4, his trade value is a lot higher than through the first three weeks.
Fantasy managers might benefit from selling high instead of expecting this type of performance each week.
What Should Fantasy Managers Look To Acquire When Trading Swift?
For the fantasy managers who want to utilize Swift’s strong Week 4 performance to sell high, the PFN Trade Analyzer is a tool that helps GMs get an idea of a player’s trade value.
The approximate value for Swift is 8.7 points, which makes him relatively valuable considering his production through the first three weeks of the season.
When looking at players in that value range, some running backs to consider are:
- Javonte Williams (8.5)
- Braelon Allen (8.2)
- Isiah Pacheco (7.8)
If the running backs aren’t a need, some wide receivers to look at are:
- Rome Odunze (9.6)
- Xavier Worthy (9.4)
- Rashid Shaheed (9.1)
- Keenan Allen (8.9)
- Khalil Shakir (8.0)
For fantasy managers with a pair of running backs they trust over Swift, it could be smart to turn him into one of these players — or a combination of a couple of players could be the way to go about it.
Swift could make it work this season with the Bears, but with just one impressive game through four weeks, it might be best to sell high.