Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift had a career year when he was reunited with head coach Ben Johnson in 2025, where he set career highs in rushing yards (1,087) and touchdowns (9) while averaging 4.9 yards per carry as the lead back in a top-three rushing offense.
Recently, NFL.com came out with their list of seven of the safest players to draft in fantasy football after the third round. Swift made the list with his average draft position (ADP) listed as the fifth round. Here is what they had to say:
Swift has been an underappreciated fantasy asset for years, and he likely will be again in 2026. Lingering reluctance toward the 27-year-old likely stems from Swift failing to break through to RB1 territory in any of his previous six seasons.
Expecting him to finally enter that territory now would be folly, but his remarkable consistency makes him valuable where he’s currently going in drafts. Despite suiting up for three different teams in various backfield situations, Swift has never finished outside the RB15-21 range. Even in 2022, his final year with the Lions, Swift managed an RB21 finish while handling a mere 99 carries.
While fellow Bears RB Kyle Monangai could presumably take on more work in his sophomore campaign, he and Swift complement each other well. They shouldn’t infringe on each other’s roles. Plus, Swift is the more dynamic of the two. Managers chasing higher upside will rightfully target some nearby ballcarriers -- Quinshon Judkins (RB21), TreVeyon Henderson (RB 22) and Bhayshul Tuten (RB25) -- but Swift has less variance. He should once again serve as a reliable starting option in lineups.”
No one is expecting Swift to be an RB1, but they do seem to minimize the impact teammate Kyle Monangai could have on his production. Monangai is poised to take on a greater role in the offense this year as he firmly holds the No. 2 running back position on the Bears.
Swift’s receiving numbers were also relatively low last season, and with the Bears having receiving threats like wide receiver Luther Burden III and tight end Colston Loveland that are candidates to have a breakout year, Swift’s receiving stats could decrease even more than last year.
While he is a reliable running back, drafting him in the fifth round seems like a little bit of a stretch. His ADP is 49.3 according to Yahoo Sports, which would actually put him in the seventh round in eight-team leagues. Even if you are not in an eight-team league, drafting Swift in the sixth or seventh round might be a safer move.
He might be listed as one of the safest players to draft this year in fantasy football, but you should also be smart regarding when you draft him. His production could be disappointing for a fifth-rounder, but not necessarily for a sixth- or seventh-rounder.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears RB D'Andre Swift among 'safest' players to draft in fantasy
