One player who has been up and down in fantasy football in recent years but is currently on the upswing is Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift. Justin Boone of Yahoo Sports writes that despite the risk that is pushing him down draft boards, Swift is a screaming buy in fantasy football.
The Chicago Bears have a fantasy football sleeper in D'Andre Swift
The reasoning from Boone is simple. Swift handled the lead role in the backfield last year; the team did not make any major additions to challenge him, and he should enter 2026 with a similar role.
Boone notes that Swift was the 10th-best running back in fantasy football after Week 6 last season, yet he is currently being drafted as the RB24. If Swift can produce anything close to what he did during the second half of last year, he should easily outperform that draft cost.
That is what makes him an attractive value. Still, there are reasons why fantasy managers may be hesitant.
One argument against Swift is that Kyle Monangai could earn a larger workload. Monangai was only a late-round draft pick, which is one reason Boone believes Swift can hold him off. However, Monangai was drafted by the current coaching staff, while Swift was inherited by the Ben Johnson regime.
Swift also has just one year remaining on his contract. Monangai is under team control for much longer, which could give the Bears a reason to see what they have in the younger running back.
If that happens, it could cut into Swift's workload. There is also the possibility that the Bears become a more pass-heavy offense in 2026.
Caleb Williams took a big step forward last season, and the Bears have plenty of weapons in the passing game. Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and Colston Loveland are all expected to have significant roles this year.
Swift is the better pass catcher between the two running backs, but in an offense with that many pass-catching options, he may not be featured as heavily through the air as he was at times last season.
The offensive line also brings some questions. The Bears got by at left tackle last year, but there are still concerns at the position. They are also expected to start a new center, and it remains to be seen how quickly that transition will go.
Still, the reality is that Swift does not need to repeat his production from the second half of last season to justify his current draft position. He can take a step back statistically and still outperform where he is being selected.
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