D'Andre Swift Will Be Used Primarily in the Passing Game - Where Do I Draft Swift For Fantasy Football?

D’Andre Swift was traded to the Super Bowl runner-up Philadelphia Eagles this offseason and now appears primed for a fairly sizable role in the Birds’ offense.

Miles Sanders left for Carolina on a four-year, $25M deal, but the Eagles also brought in Rashaad Penny on a one-year contract. Penny spent his last five seasons in Seattle, where he’s struggled to stay on the field. The former first-round NFL draft pick has played an average of 8.4 games per season since entering the league. He most recently suffered a tibia fracture that limited him to just five games a year ago.

Swift has also had his fair share of injuries, with an average of 3.3 games missed through his first three seasons. He still showed flashes of brilliance during his time in Detroit. There he amassed 1,680 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground. He also had 156 receptions for 1,198 yards and an additional seven touchdowns through the air. In half-PPR scoring, Swift has nearly had the same finish every year - RB18 (2020), RB19 (2021), and RB22 (2022). 

• Quarterback fantasy football rankings
• Running back fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
• Tight end fantasy football rankings
• Kicker fantasy football rankings
• FLEX fantasy football rankings
• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• Superflex fantasy football rankings
• IDP fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

How Will D'Andre Swift Be Used By Philadelphia?

Anyone who plays fantasy football knows that Swift gets a ton of his production from the passing game. Of the top 25 RBs in 2022, Swift had the third lowest percent of his fantasy points come from rushing yards per Fantasypros. Reports from Eagles camp are saying Swift is being used primarily as a receiving threat, which isn’t surprising given his and Penny’s skillsets.

This does raise some concerns for Swift’s fantasy outlook, though. The Eagle’s offense already has a ton of mouths to feed in that department with AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert demanding high-volume. Swift’s opportunities could be limited, especially if he’s mostly seeing the field on third downs. 

It's also worth noting that Jalen Hurts' RB target percentage was among the lowest in the NFL last season, per PFF.

D'Andre Swift 2023 Fantasy Outlook

The good news is that these concerns are already baked into Swift’s ADP. This isn’t 2022 when expectations for Swift were sky-high and he was being grabbed in the mid-second, sometimes late first round.

There is absolutely a path for Swift to be a weekly RB2 with upside for more if Penny misses time (which history tells us will happen). Philly also hasn’t had a running back with the pass-catching chops of Swift since Darren Sproles back in 2015. Swift is simply too talented for Philly to solely utilize him as a check-down option. 

The other RBs being taken in Swift’s range are Rachaad White, David Montgomery, James Conner, Alvin Kamara, Javonte Williams, Dalvin Cook, James Cook, Isaiah Pachecho, and Antonio Gibson. Besides White and Conner, I’d take Swift over any of those guys. James Cook is the next player I would have in consideration there.

Draft Swift a few spots ahead of his current ADP and don't be afraid to reach. He should be a solid flex or low-end RB2 asset most of the season and will turn into a machine when Penny ultimately misses a handful of games due to injury. At the beginning of the seventh round, Swift is a lower risk than Penny for a lot more potential reward.

More Fantasy Football Analysis