NFL Week 8 Weather Conditions
There are only six games that will be played outdoors in NFL Week 8 because of all the teams on bye and games played in domes. Here are the weather forecasts and fantasy impacts for those six outside games:
New England Patriots @ Buffalo Bills
1:00PM ET
NEW ERA FIELD
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK
Temp: 44°
Precipitation: 50%
Wind: 7 mph
Wind Gusts: 10 mph
Fantasy Impact: Forecasts all predict rain, but the timing ranges from late morning to early afternoon. There’s a 50% chance (this is weather forecaster’s version of the ‘Easy’ button) there is some drizzle during the game, but don’t get cute fading studs like Tom Brady in this game. The weather will have minimal impact if any on fantasy relevant players.
New York Jets @ Cleveland Browns
1:00PM ET
FIRSTENERGY STADIUM
CLEVELAND, OHIO
Temp: 51°
Precipitation: 81%
Wind: 8 mph
Wind Gusts: 10 mph
Fantasy Impact: Light rain during the morning should abate right around kickoff. The field is natural grass so the playing surface may get slick if the rain comes heavier or later than expected. If this game looks sloppy, it will more likely be because of the players on the field and not the weather in the sky.
Oakland Raiders @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1:00PM ET
RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM
TAMPA, FLORIDA
Temp: 82°
Precipitation: None
Wind: 15 mph
Wind Gusts: 17 mph
Fantasy Impact: None
Arizona Cardinals @ Carolina Panthers
1:00PM ET
BANK OF AMERICA STADIUM
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
Temp: 79°
Precipitation: None
Wind: 5 mph
Wind Gusts: 6 mph
Fantasy Impact: None.
San Diego Chargers @ Denver Broncos
4:05PM ET
SPORTS AUTHORITY FIELD AT MILE HIGH
DENVER, COLORADO
Temp: 75°
Precipitation: None
Wind: 5 mph
Wind Gusts: 7 mph
Fantasy Impact: None
Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears
MNF 8:30PM ET
SOLDIER FIELD
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Temp: 58°
Precipitation: None
Wind: 19 mph
Wind Gusts: 36 mph
Fantasy Impact: The forecast calls for winds to really pick up just a couple hours before kickoff so this is definitely a situation to monitor closely, but we could be looking at gusts well into the 30 mph range by game time. Sam Bradford and Minnesota shouldn’t be impacted very much based on a game plan that features shorter throws and game script that should be run heavy. The weather conditions, matchup, and RB situation is making Matt Asiata a sneaky start for Minnesota.
Soldier Field itself has a north-south orientation with winds coming from the south. This will make kicking and passing difficult for both teams when facing the wind. Jay Cutler has plenty of arm strength to cut through the wind on short to intermediate routes, but the wind may become problematic if Chicago falls behind and needs to hit deep passes against the wind to stay in the game. Cutler will also susceptible to sailing some passes if he has the wind. You’re probably fading Chicago players in fantasy outside of Alshon Jeffery from a matchup perspective already, but these winds could make Cutler and company even more volatile as fantasy commodities.
For Further Updates: Follow me on Twitter @FF_Gouge and if you’re a member of JoinTheFoot.com, be on the lookout for the #FootClan Gameday Alerts post, one hour before kickoff.