Lions running back D’Andre Swift is, as usual, a boom or bust fantasy start in Week 9

D’Andre Swift seems likely to suit up Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, but the Lions running back carries familiar risk.

Taking Detroit Lions running back D’Andre Swift in a fantasy football draft were you had to this year was inherently risky, and a bet on his potential.

In Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Swift had a career-high 144 rushing yards with a touchdown on 15 carries along with 31 yards on three catches. But he also suffered an ankle injury during that game, but played the next two before adding a shoulder issue to his injury docket in Week 3.

Swift missed the two games before the Lions’ Week 6 bye, and Week 7 coming out of the bye. He returned in Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins, and naturally returned to fantasy lineups as his managers crossed their fingers he’d do something notable.

Swift saved his fantasy day against the Dolphins with a receiving touchdown, as he had just 33 total yards (six rushing) on 10 touches (five receptions). He out-snapped Jamaal Williams 33-22, but coming out of the game Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Swift is not all the way back healthy and even suggested he had too much work against Miami.

D’Andre Swift is, once again, a boom-or-bust fantasy start in Week 9

Swift has scored in three of the four games he’s played this season. The one he didn’t, when he suffered the aforementioned shoulder injury and aggravated his ankle injury against the Vikings, he had 46 total yards on 10 touches.

Week 9 brings a nice matchup, as the Green Bay Packers have the NFL’s fourth-worst run defense (141.3 yards allowed per game) and they’ve allowed the second-most rushing yards per game (119.6) to running backs. In terms of fantasy points allowed to running backs they are in the middle of the pack (13th-most per game; Yahoo!, 0.5-point PPR).

Campbell’s comments Friday morning, however tentative if you read between the lines, point to Swift being active on Sunday.

Swift is widely ranked as a top-20 fantasy running back for Week 9, due in part to six teams being on a bye but also leaning into what he can do even with limited touches. He’s a big play waiting to happen, and a least a coin-flip shot to score a touchdown. If he gets 10 touches, like he did last week, a chunk of them will be receptions (extra points in fantasy) and 60-70 total yards with a touchdown one way or another is well within the range of outcomes.

Swift’s fantasy managers would need to have two or maybe three (accounting for a flex spot) better running back options to bench him this week, with six teams idle. Being a Swift fantasy manager means a full embrace of the risk with him, and Week 9 will be more of the same.