Welcome back to the latest edition of Pierce’s Picks! This week, we’re diving straight into my number one target.

ADD: D’Andre Swift (RB, Detroit Lions)

Swift, drafted 35th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, is rostered in 86% of ESPN leagues, and that percentage is increasing as the weeks go along, so I strongly recommend grabbing Swift before he becomes rostered in your league. Still, even if Swift is not available on the waiver wire, I would trade a mid-tier bench player—preferably a WR since the position has a lot of depth this year—in order to grab Swift, but I would only do this if I had a record over .500.  The former Georgia Bulldog was limited for much of training camp with a lingering hip injury, which made it harder for him to assimilate into the Lions’ offense in an already unprecedented injury-covid filled year. Consequently, the Lions signed an aging Adrian Peterson in early September as insurance net in case Swift was not healthy for the first game of the season. Swift did return to the field in time for Detroit’s opener against the Bears, but Peterson was the featured back, as Swift only carried the ball three times. 

Swift is too talented to be stuck in a committee with Adrian Peterson, and I don’t think Matt Patricia would have spent one of the first picks on day two of the NFL Draft on a running back he doesn’t plan on utilizing. If he wants to keep his job, he will need to actually showcase the players he spent high draft capital on—and Swift definitely showcased his talents on Sunday against Jacksonville. He rushed the ball 14 times for 116 yards and found the end zone twice (ESPN). In addition, he caught three passes for seven yards, giving him a total of 28.3 PPR points on the day (ESPN). This game proved that there is a clear distinction between Peterson, who averaged 2.7 yards per carry, and Swift, who put up an astonishing 8.3 yards per carry (ESPN). In fact, Swift became the first Lions’ rookie running back to rush for over 100 yards and put up two scores since Barry Sanders in 1989 (247 Sports). With that performance, Swift will inevitably see an increase in volume, and the two biggest indicators of fantasy success are volume and efficiency—Swift has the potential to have both. Even if he doesn’t get 60% of running back targets right away, he will for sure be phased more and more into this offense as the season progresses, which makes him a sneaky option for the playoffs. The Lions have already curtailed Kerryon Johnson’s workload, and I think they’re going to cut into Peterson’s next. So, if your team is in a good position (4-2, 5-1, 6-0) to make the playoffs, you should value Swift more than owners who are sitting at .500 or below.