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Joey Pollizze takes a look at D'Andre Swift, Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson's fantasy football outlook in 2024. Which Bears RB should be on your fantasy football roster in 2024?
The Chicago Bears were extremely active this offseason and will head into the 2024-2025 season trending up. Despite finishing last in the NFC North with a 7-10 record last year, the Bears are surely in a better spot now in the division. That's because of their successful offseason.
Chicago traded for veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen and signed versatile running back D'Andre Swift this offseason. Most importantly, though, they found their franchise quarterback in Caleb Williams and also added wideout Rome Odunze in the 2024 NFL Draft. Those additions will undoubtedly improve the Bears' offense this upcoming season.
However, will the Bears be running the ball a lot? Is Swift worth a pick in re-draft formats? Are Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson no longer fantasy-relevant? Let's dive in and find out.
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D'Andre Swift Fantasy Outlook
For the third time in three years, Swift will be on a new team. He signed a three-year, $24 million deal with the Bears this offseason and figures to immediately step in as the team's RB1. That should make him a potential middle-round draft pick in most formats, especially considering his talent.
Since being drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Swift has showcased that talent with the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles. Injuries limited his potential in Detroit from 2020 to 2022, but when he was on the field, he was hard to tackle in open space. He totaled 2,878 yards from scrimmage and 25 total touchdowns in those three seasons while finishing as a top-24 running back in fantasy every year.
That continued in 2023 when the Lions traded Swift to the Eagles before the season. The upgraded offense helped the young back finish with a career-high 1,049 rush yards. While he wasn't as involved in the passing game (214 receiving yards), he still finished as the RB20 in PPR formats.
Swifties will love this run.
📺: #PHIvsTB on ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/NkpBC1YFYJ pic.twitter.com/jLOLxddeU1— NFL (@NFL) September 26, 2023
Swift will now head to Chicago, where he figures to have a role right away. The downside, though, is that he will likely see a competition for touches with both Herbert and Johnson in the backfield. He also joins a Bears' offense that is a downgrade from the Philadelphia offense he was a part of a season ago. So, there is some risk in drafting him in fantasy this year.
Khalil Herbert Fantasy Outlook
Herbert was the Bears starting running back last season, but that is expected to change in 2024. With Chicago signing Swift to a multi-year deal, that should push the 26-year-old to more of a backup role. Last year, he rushed for 611 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games.
Despite being the team's starter last year, Herbert didn't really show much in the Bears' offense. He had just three games over 80 rush yards and eight games under 40 rush yards. As a result, there were a lot of rough fantasy days for him in 2023. He also wasn't a huge factor in the receiving game, catching two passes or less in 10 of 12 contests.
Now, with Herbert expected to be a backup in Chicago in 2024, he really isn't worth a pick in re-draft formats. He has never topped more than 750 rush yards in a season and only has 10 total touchdowns across his three-year NFL career. There won't be many great games from the former Virginia Tech star in fantasy -- unless an injury occurs to Swift.
Roschon Johnson Fantasy Outlook
The arrival of Swift also hurts Johnson's fantasy value this upcoming season. There was a chance the former Texas product could have beaten out Herbert for the starting job out of training camp after a productive rookie campaign. That likely won't be the case anymore.
Johnson was the Bears' fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and immediately contributed in the NFL. He rushed for 20 yards and one touchdown in Week 1 while also reeling in six passes for 35 yards. In total, he finished with 561 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns in his first year.
I feel Roschon Johnson is in to have a huge year in 2024.
His breaking-tackle ability helps us move the chains and create momentum, and we need Waldron make sure he uses that.pic.twitter.com/PUcvWmY7QX
— Just Another Year Chicago: Bears (@OfficialJAYCHI) May 14, 2024
The 23-year-old showed a lot of great things in Year 1 and should continue to see a role in 2024, especially in the passing game. That should help him stay on the field and potentially win the RB2 job out of the training camp. Last year, Johnson caught three passes or more in five of the last eight games of the season. So, the sophomore running back could be more involved than fantasy managers realize. However, he likely won't be worth a draft pick with Swift now in town.
Chicago Bears Running Back Fantasy Football Outlook
When looking at the Bears' running back room, it is quite crowded. We saw a similar situation play out last season with Herbert, Johnson, and D'Onta Foreman. None of those backs finished with more than 135 carries, and playing time was split between them. Herbert had 152 touches, Foreman had 120 touches, and Johnson had 115 touches.
Things will likely change a bit for the backfield in 2024. Swift will surely lead the running back group, making him the most valuable fantasy back in this offense. His versatility in both the running and passing game will be huge for PPR formats. However, there are concerns for him heading into the year because he will run behind an offensive line that hasn't been great in recent years.
Swift is worth a shot in the later rounds, but keep in mind that both Herbert and Johnson will also be involved on offense. Those two backs won't just sit on the bench and should get some opportunities every week. Nonetheless, that won't be enough for them to be fantasy-relevant in most formats.
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