Last week, everyone was worried about a potential rainstorm during the game between Baltimore and Kansas City. It rained a lot prior to the game and a bit during but didn’t really impact any of the players. It was another classic case of overreacting to a weather forecast. Unlike that matchup, there’s a chance multiple games are impacted by the weather this week.
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Wind Worries
LA Chargers at Miami (1:00 PM ET): The tanking Dolphins host the Chargers this week. The Dolphins are 14.5-point underdogs at home, a number that doesn’t seem so high after they lost by 49, 43, and 25 points in their first three games. 86-degree temperatures won’t be comfortable, but 16 MPH winds are where the real worries lie. As I’ve mentioned before, 15 MPH winds are where we start to see a slight dip in completion percentage and yards per attempt. The Dolphins passing offense has already been dreadful, and with these kinds of wind concerns, I won’t be touching any of their pass-catchers in fantasy. I’m not concerned about Chargers WR Keenan Allen as most of his throws have a short average depth of target where the wind won’t impact much. We might see slightly more running if coaches deem the wind too much to overcome, but it will be marginal at most.
Jacksonville at Denver (4:25 PM ET): This game already carries one of the lowest totals of the week with just 37.5 points projected between both sides. This isn’t too much of a surprise as neither offense has been very good and both defenses have been respectable. 86-degree temperatures won’t be an issue for either side but 16 MPH winds with gusts at higher speeds could cause problems. If winds are around 20 MPH on game day I would heavily consider benching Jaguars WR DJ Chark and any other pass-catcher that’s a fringe starter for similarly ranked alternatives.
Worry-Free Weather
Washington at NY Giants (1:00 PM ET): Daniel Jones hosts the soft Washington defense in his second career start. Both the Giants and Redskins defenses have been playing so poorly this could very well end up a shootout. 77-degree temperatures, clear skies, and 9 MPH winds are expected meaning you can start all fantasy options in this one.
Cleveland at Baltimore (1:00 PM ET): Baker Mayfield and the Browns have been a massive disappointment so far this year and now have to travel to Baltimore and take on the Ravens. 81-degree temperatures, clear skies, and 8 MPH winds are expected. Fire up all fantasy starters from this one.
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New England at Buffalo (1:00 PM ET): Both the Bills and Patriots are 3-0 heading into this one and even though the game is in Buffalo, the Patriots are seven-point favorites. 61-degree temperatures, partly cloudy skies, and 7 MPH winds won’t impact this one.
Tampa Bay at LA Rams (4:05 PM ET): The Bucs suffered an embarrassing home loss at the hands of rookie Daniel Jones making his first career start last week. They’ll now have to face the Rams on the road. Both teams will enjoy beautiful southern California weather with 74-degree temperatures, clear skies, and 7 MPH winds.
Minnesota at Chicago (4:25 PM ET): The Bears Offense has been uneven through two games and now will play against the Vikings. Weather in the windy city is still fairly mild and 73-degree temperatures with mostly cloudy skies and 8 MPH winds are in the forecast. All fantasy options can be started as usual.
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (8:15 PM ET, Monday): Can the Steelers bounceback without Big Ben? They are banking on it after trading away a first-round pick for Minkah Fitzpatrick. 77-degree temperatures and partly cloudy skies shouldn’t cause any issues.
Home Teams Are Dome Teams
This week has six games being played indoors, leaving us with little to worry about on this slate as a whole. Houston isn’t technically a dome, but use a retractable roof that will cover the stadium in case of inclement weather.
Tennessee at Atlanta (1:00 PM ET)
Oakland at Indianapolis (1:00 PM ET)
Carolina at Houston (1:00 PM ET)
Kansas City at Detroit (1:00 PM ET)
Seattle at Arizona (4:05 PM ET)
Dallas at New Orleans (8:20 PM ET)