Fantasy Football: NFL Week 1 Weather Conditions
My Week 1 weather article is always my favorite article of the year. It means football is back. Normally the weather for the first month of the year is pretty mild, but we’re jumping right out the gate with some games that will be played in less than ideal conditions. Good luck this year.
Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens
1:00 PM ET
M&T BANK STADIUM
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
Temp: 66°
Precipitation: Rain
Wind: 23 mph
Wind Gusts: 32 mph
Fantasy Impact: While everyone is looking at the Cleveland game, the weather for this one may actually be worse. That being said, you’re in a really bad spot if you planned on starting Joe Flacco or Nathan Peterman and there probably isn’t a WR playing in this game that was going to be in starting lineups.
LeSean McCoy may benefit from the sloppy conditions. He went off for 156 yards and a TD on 32 carries against Indianapolis in a heavy snowstorm last year and he could see similar usage if his sore groin holds up. Charles Clay wouldn’t be a bad play here, but I’m sure there are better streaming options on your waiver wire. The Buffalo defense is a sneaky decent option if you’re desperate.
Like McCoy, Alex Collins should see plenty of work. Michael Crabtree may be someone you have in your flex spot-I’d take him out of there. There might be games where John Brown goes off, but this one probably won’t be it with wind gusts above 30 mph. If you’ve got Justin Tucker on your team, you’re probably going to have to hope for the best. I like the Baltimore defense in general this year and the matchup doesn’t get any better.
Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Giants
1:00 PM ET
METLIFE STADIUM
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY
Temp: 68°
Precipitation: None
Wind: 14 mph
Wind Gusts: 20 mph
Fantasy Impact: None
Houston Texans at New England Patriots
1:00 PM ET
GILLETTE STADIUM
FOXBORO, MASSACHUSETTS
Temp: 64°
Precipitation: None
Wind: 10 mph
Wind Gusts: 14 mph
Fantasy Impact: None
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns
1:00 PM ET
FIRSTENERGY STADIUM
CLEVELAND, OHIO
Temp: 60°
Precipitation: Drizzle
Wind: 16 mph
Wind Gusts: 38 mph
Fantasy Impact: Some people are freaking out about the weather for this game, but it probably won’t be as bad as people think. 38 mph wind gusts are pretty tough, but 16 mph sustained winds aren’t horrible. We may see the heavier rains come in towards the end of the game, but the really nasty weather won’t hit until after the game.
Tyrod Taylor probably wouldn’t have been in many lineups, but I’m not really sure the weather is really a knock on him. You don’t start Tyrod Taylor looking for 300 yards passing and a few TDs. You start him hoping he gets 60+ yards on the ground and a rushing TD and 200 yards passing with another TD. Slippery conditions would make it more difficult on the defense to track him down on the ground so the weather may actually help him. Josh Gordon would have been a risky start this week even if the weather was good. With these winds, it may be prudent to leave him on the bench. Jarvis Landry and David Njoku are also risky starts. The Cleveland backfield is a bit crowded, but Carlos Hyde should have first crack at work.
The Steelers offense would have been hard to project with Le’Veon Bell sitting out and the weather makes it that much more difficult now. Ben Roethlisberger should still be fine along with Antonio Brown, but it’s not the dream matchup we were hoping for. You might bump JuJu Smith-Schuster down a notch. James Conner should get all the touches he can handle.
Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers
4:05 PM ET
STUBHUB CENTER
CARSON, CALIFORNIA
Temp: 83°
Precipitation: None
Wind: 6 mph
Wind Gusts: 8 mph
Fantasy Impact: None
Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos
4:25 PM ET
SPORTS AUTHORITY FIELD AT MILE HIGH
DENVER, COLORADO
Temp: 84°
Precipitation: None
Wind: 5 mph
Wind Gusts: 9 mph
Fantasy Impact: None
Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers
4:25 PM ET
BANK OF AMERICA STADIUM
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
Temp: 84°
Precipitation: Drizzle Possible
Wind: 3 mph
Wind Gusts: 7 mph
Fantasy Impact: None
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears
8:20 PM ET
SOLDIER FIELD
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Temp: 66°
Precipitation: None
Wind: 12 mph
Wind Gusts: 21 mph
Fantasy Impact: None
Monday, September 10, 2018:
Los Angeles Rams at Oakland Raiders
10:20 PM ET
OAKLAND COLISEUM
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA
Temp: 64°
Precipitation: None
Wind: 8 mph
Wind Gusts: 12 mph
Fantasy Impact: None