The arrival of Week 7 means the fantasy football regular season is just about halfway complete. Week 7 also means that winter weather conditions are beginning to creep into our fantasy consciousness as we attempt to avoid any detrimental conditions that may hamper a key player during a fantasy playoff push. The good folks at Rotoworld are here for one thing, and that is to make sure your teams are hoisting hardware once Week 16 draws to a close. That mission includes analyzing every detail of fantasy football matchups, including the impact of Mother Nature herself.
The national weather forecast for Sunday looks fairly mild in the precipitation department, with pockets of wet weather expected in only the Northwest and Northeast during NFL game times this week. Luckily, only one game will be hosted in the Northeast on Sunday (Buffalo), and the Seattle Seahawks travel to St. Louis to play in the cozy confines of the Edward Jones Dome. Despite the NFL schedule dodging the majority of expected precipitation on Sunday, there will still be some conditions to monitor as high winds will be present across the country. Lace up those spikes and get ready to break down the forecasts for all 14 remaining Week 7 games.
Cause For Concern
I have noted the work of Jonathan Bales in this column previously, but I think it is especially relevant this week as wind will be the most pressing issue facing NFL teams. In a recent study of the impact of weather on passing, Bales determined that quarterback Net YPA (Yards Per Attempt) and team passing attempts per game both drop considerably in winds of 16 mph or greater. We have a few hosting NFL cities this week that will be experiencing high winds, so keep this information in mind as we move through each game.
Minnesota at Buffalo (1:00 ET): Winds will gradually escalate at Ralph Wilson Stadium this weekend, peaking at 18 mph on Sunday as the Bills get set to host Teddy Bridgewater and the visiting Minnesota Vikings. Temperatures will dip to 47 degrees for this game with just a 10% chance of rain under partly cloudy skies. With winds at 18 mph and possible gusts reaching even higher levels of speed, both Blair Walsh and Dan Carpenter should be avoided in the kicking game. Neither Kyle Orton nor Teddy Bridgewater would be worth starting this week in perfect conditions, so the wind concern is an extra reason to leave these two options out of Week 7 lineups. Downgrade receiving options like Sammy Watkins and Greg Jennings as well.
Atlanta at Baltimore (1:00 ET): The Atlanta Falcons travel to M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Sunday to take on Joe Flacco and the Ravens. Sunshine is in the forecast for this game, with 56 degree temperatures expected at kickoff. Winds will be slightly concerning for this contest as breezes are anticipated to touch 15 mph, but with only 8 mph winds expected in the evening hours in Baltimore, the conditions shouldn’t escalate to levels of serious interference. It may be worth taking a look at the scene during pregame warmups, but all major fantasy options should be fine in this one.
Tennessee at Washington (1:00 ET): FedEx Field in Washington will see nearly the same weather conditions as in nearby Baltimore. As we touched on above, winds will be of slight concern but should die down throughout the afternoon. Partly cloudy skies and 57 degree weather will welcome the visiting Tennessee Titans to the nation’s capital.
Editor’s Note: Rotoworld’s partner FanDuel is hosting a one-week $500,000 Fantasy Football league for Week 7’s games. It’s only $10 to join and first prize is $40,000. Starts Sunday, October 19th at 1pm ET. Here’s the link.
Worry-Free Weather
Cleveland at Jacksonville (1:00 ET): EverBank Field in Jacksonville will be quite enjoyable for Jaguars fans, as 75 degree temperatures and mostly sunny skies are in the forecast. Winds will be approaching levels of concern, but should stay at 12 mph or lower on Sunday as Jacksonville hosts the Cleveland Browns. The Browns are second in the NFL in rushing attempts per game (33.0 att/gm), so expect to see heavy doses of Ben Tate and rookie Isaiah Crowell in this contest.
Miami at Chicago (1:00 ET): Sunshine is expected to break through the cloudy Chicago area sky on Sunday as the Bears host the Dolphins at Soldier Field. Temperatures will be at 58 degrees for this game, with winds expected to hover around 10-12 mph. All fantasy options should be fine in this one, but kickers Caleb Sturgis and Robbie Gould should be avoided to eliminate any potential risk due to the wind factor.
Carolina at Green Bay (1:00 ET): The Green Bay Packers will host the Carolina Panthers are Lambeau Field on Sunday under mostly cloudy skies and 54 degree temperatures. Winds will be around 10 mph, so Aaron Rodgers and Cam Newton should be ready to roll in this exciting NFC matchup.
Kansas City at San Diego (4:05 ET): Southern California will experience typical fall weather of 73 degrees and mostly sunny skies on Sunday when the Chargers host the visiting Chiefs. Winds will peak at 10 mph for this contest, but will die down as the game progresses. All fantasy options can be relied upon as normal in this AFC West battle.
Arizona at Oakland (4:25 ET): Weather will be calm at O.co Coliseum on Sunday afternoon when the Oakland Raiders take on the Arizona Cardinals. 5-10 mph winds shouldn’t present much of a challenge for either passing game, and expected 67 degree temperatures with partly cloudy skies should make for perfect playing conditions.
San Francisco at Denver (8:30 ET): Daytime temperatures above 70 degrees will cool into the 50’s for this Sunday Night Football matchup between Peyton Manning’s Broncos and Colin Kaepernick’s 49ers. No precipitation is in the forecast for Sport Authority Field at Mile High on Sunday and winds will be mild at just 7 mph. All Denver and San Francisco fantasy options should be locked into starting lineups, as this game has one of the highest expected point totals of the week.
Houston at Pittsburgh (8:30 ET, Mon): Rain is expected for Monday Night’s tilt between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans, but only 30% chances of precipitation during the day should leave the Heinz Field playing surface in decent shape for this game. Unfortunately, it will be impossible to know exactly how much rain will hit the Steel City when fantasy lineups lock on Sunday, so all relevant players will have to be trusted in hopes that no torrential downpours hit the area on Monday Night.
Home Teams Are Dome Teams
Four games will be played in domes or stadiums with retractable roofs in Week 7, including a NFC East battle between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants.
Seattle at St. Louis (1:00 ET)
Cincinnati at Indianapolis (1:00 ET)
New Orleans at Detroit (1:00 ET)
New York Giants at Dallas (4:25 ET)
