Will D’Andre Swift suit up for Week 12? Blaine Grisak breaks down the fantasy football implications.
The Chicago Bears will have a lot to prove over the final seven weeks of the season. If they are unable to turn things around, it’s very possible that big changes could get made in the offseason. After firing offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, there was a lot to like from Thomas Brown last week in the team’s loss to the Packers. One of those bright spots was running back D’Andre Swift who had 14 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown. Swift has since been dealing with a groin injury and the Bears will hope to have their starting running back available in Week 12 against the Vikings.
D’Andre Swift injury update
Bears running back D’Andre Swift will officially be listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Vikings. However, according to Patrick Finley of the Sun Times, Swift told him that there is no question that he’ll play on Sunday. Swift didn’t practice on Wednesday and was a limited participant on Thursday. However, on Friday, the Bears running back was upgraded to a full participant. Swift has been managing a groin injury all week, but given the steady improvement, Swift appears to be on track to play on Sunday. Still, he’ll be a player to monitor on Sunday morning when the Bears play the Vikings in Chicago at 1 p.m. ET.
What does D’Andre Swift’s injury mean for fantasy football
D’Andre Swift had a slow start to the 2024 season. However, since Week 4 he has been the RB9 in PPR formats and the RB7 on a points per game basis. The Bears running back is one of the few running backs in the NFL that is the clear top running back in the offense. He leads the Bears backfield with a 55.8 percent share of the carries and 9.8 percent target share in the passing game.
The Vikings could provide a difficult matchup for Swift in Week 12. This season, they are allowing just 74.4 rushing yards per game which is the best in the NFL and also rank first in EPA per rush allowed. With that said, they also haven’t played many formidable rushing attacks. Earlier this season, Kyren Williams managed 97 yards on 23 carries and Jahmyr Gibbs had 116 yards and two rushing touchdowns against the Vikings defense.
Swift has been one of the worst running backs this season in terms of success rate, but his volume invites a high floor from a fantasy standpoint. He has 15 or more carries in six of the last seven games and had 14 in last week’s loss to the Packers. Swift remains the most consistent running back in the Bears backfield. With offensive coordinator Thomas Brown looking to get Caleb Williams more comfortable, a great way to do that is to lean on Swift and the run game.
If Swift plays, it’s unlikely that he would be limited in any capacity. It’s a tough matchup against the Vikings, but Swift will remain a RB2 option in Week 12.
