The Detroit Lions selected D’Andre Swift with the thirty-fifth pick in the 2020 NFL Draft — but where do you select him in your fantasy football drafts?
I answer this question and give my statistical projections in today’s Fantasy Football Weekly.
Re-draft leagues
These are the leagues where you start from scratch each year, and Swift will have a bit lower value in these leagues with everyone fighting for the other top NFL stars — he’s still a sneaky running back you can get later though.
His average draft position (ADP) on Fantasy Pros is currently 89th overall. That is a late eighth-round pick in a standard 10-team league and being drafted around the same time as running backs Kareem Hunt (Browns), Phillip Lindsay (Broncos), and Damien Williams (Chiefs).
Personally, I’d rather draft Swift then any of those players. I see the Lions new talented running back as more of a sixth-seventh round player in these types of leagues, as running backs thin out quickly and his upside is well worth the gamble.
Best ball leagues
These are the leagues where you get the fun of the draft but don’t have the hassle of setting a lineup or making roster moves each week. Just draft and the system will give you points for the best scoring players on your roster each week.
I really like these leagues and D’Andre Swift ranks highly in these too. He’s currently ranked around the 45th player in best ball leagues. That is around players like JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR, Steelers) and Keenan Allen (WR, Chargers).
One injury to Kerryon Johnson and Swift jumps up even higher. Also, because he is a dynamic player, these are the types of leagues you often want to target players that can fill up the stat sheet on any given week. I like him tremendously in best ball leagues as I could see him being the lead dog in Detroit’s backfield before long.
Dynasty leagues
Here is where people are sleeping on Swift’s talent.
We all know that Johnson is already in Detroit, but I think that helps Swift instead of hurts him. Having two young running backs will allow both players to stay fresh and be utilized to the best of their ability. Swift’s ranked as the 15th overall running back in dynasty leagues on average.
In dynasty leagues, I’m still taking Swift in the Top-5 of my rookie drafts and as a quality long-term dynasty asset.
Statistical projection and analysis
At the end of the day, fantasy football is all about the statistics, so the key question is: what will Swift accumulate in his rookie season?
You will hear the word “timeshare” used a lot when a team has two running backs that will both get carries throughout the year, and many assume this hurts both players, but as I pointed out in the dynasty section, it keeps both players fresh.
My 2020 projections for Swift are:
- 800 yards rushing
- 400 yards receiving
- Eight touchdowns
Those are higher then most other numbers you will see out there, but I think Swift is a special talent. He was the top player on the board when the Lions drafted him and they want to be able to run the football.
The team has added to the offensive line, have weapons on the outside to stress defenses, and a young player in T.J. Hockenson to occupy the middle of the field too. While there is only one football to go around, these are the offenses I like in fantasy football as they don’t allow other teams to take away options that might be on your fantasy team. Swift will never be the focus for defenses and that is why I see him having a very nice rookie year both in reality and in fantasy for the Lions.