Just when it seemed as if D’Andre Swift‘s fantasy value had gone up in a puff of smoke with the Lions’ drafting of Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs in the first round, the Eagles traded for Swift on Day 3 of the NFL Draft, reinvigorating Swift’s fantasy stock after it had reached rock bottom.

• Thor Nystrom’s Best Remaining Day 3 Prospects
• NFL Draft Day 2 Winners & Losers
• Fitz’s Round 1 NFL Draft Picks: Dynasty Rookie Draft Outlook (Day 2)
• Dynasty Rookies: Best Remaining Day 3 Picks & Predictions
• Dynasty Rookie Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE

Eagles Trade for D’Andre Swift

Swift had some tantalizing flashes in his three years in Detroit but never became the player the Lions hoped they were getting when they selected him with the 35th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Swift scored 10 touchdowns as a rookie and averaged 67.5 yards from scrimmage per game, showing promise as a pass catcher with 46-357-2 receiving on 57 targets. He got even more work in 2021, averaging 16.4 touches per game and finishing with 1,069 scrimmage yards and 8 touchdowns in 13 games.

Last season, Swift clearly fell out of favor with the Lions. He averaged 10.5 touches per game and was out-carried by Jamaal Williams 262-99. Swift’s snap share of 42% was a three-year low. Durability has been an issue for Swift, who has missed 10 games over the last three years. When the Lions drafted Gibbs on Thursday night, it was clear that Swift’s time in Detroit was nearing an end.

The Eagles didn’t give up much to bring Swift back to Philadelphia, his hometown. Eagles GM Howie Roseman sent the Lions a fourth-round pick in 2025 and swapped seventh-round picks, allowing Detroit to move up 30 picks in the final round of the draft. The Eagles have been stockpiling defenders from the University of Georgia — they’ve drafted five of them in the last two years — and now get another former Bulldog in Swift.

Shoutout to my ace colleague @mikeMaher, who called the RB Swift trade to the Eagles late last night pic.twitter.com/fYxPeGZ9qa

— Thor Nystrom (@thorku) April 29, 2023

The trade undoubtedly props up Swift’s fantasy value, which had been in freefall since Thursday night. The Eagles have one of the NFL’s best offenses and one of the NFL’s best offensive lines. Philadelphia was the fourth run-heaviest team in the league last season; the Eagles ran the ball on 49.7% of their offensive snaps.

That isn’t to say Swift has a clear path to RB1 fantasy value. The Eagles have gone with a backfield-by-committee approach in recent years. RBs Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott are holdovers, and Philadelphia signed ex-Seahawk Rashaad Penny in free agency. Swift seems destined to be a rotational back for the Eagles, though he could undoubtedly carve out a bigger snap share for himself if he provides his new team with a steady diet of big plays.

Swift should be regarded as a midrange RB3 in redraft leagues, somewhere in the RB27-RB33 range. His speed and pass-catching ability are enticing, and Philadelphia would seem to be a healthy ecosystem for him. On the other hand, Swift doesn’t figure to get heavy touch volume in Philadelphia, and it’s possible the Eagles will eventually sour on Swift for the same reasons the Lions did — whatever those reasons may have been.

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