Maybe you take a look outside when you wake up in the morning or like most normal beings these days you tap to open the weather app on your phone each day to see what the weather is going to be like. You do this to make sure you are prepared for what month nature has in store for you on that very day. Maybe it will rain or maybe it will be 90 degrees and humid. No, this article is not about describing the type of weather but the fact that we care about the weather each day to make sure we are properly prepared for the day’s forecast. Those principles should be applied to your fantasy football rosters as well. You need to make it a habit, on game day, of checking the weather for the players on your roster because what good ole Mother Nature has in store could be the difference between starting and benching a player.
Precipitation
Whether it be rain or snow, the mere fact there is precipitation will have an impact on the players you decide to start for the day’s slate of games whether it be in seasonal or DFS. Both rain and snow make it tough for the team’s passing game, making it likely that the running backs in those contests, less affected by precipitation, will be in for overall solid games. With snow also comes the cold, which is another factor all in itself, and is one that makes gripping the football a bit more difficult and thus harder to throw. In terms of catching the football, well, receivers have pretty good gloves with a crazy amount of grab on them to help them grip the football when it’s thrown but, a wet ball can also be a heavy ball and a heavy ball is one that can be tough to grasp.
Wind
We know wind plays a huge part in the kicking game, but it shouldn’t be too shocking that high wind gusts can also make it difficult to throw the football as well. You will often hear fantasy analysts telling you to fade the receivers in games with high wind gusts as footballs will tend to be more off-target than usual. The gusts themselves can make for erratic and inconsistent play overall. Quarterbacks can have a tougher time adjusting to the weather around them than others on the field. The running game again will benefit from the weather in this scenario but teams are still more likely to throw in windy conditions than in games in which there is precipitation.
Heat
You wouldn’t think heat would be too much of an issue, but games played in extreme heat tend to lead to a lot of injuries, most notably cramping and dehydration. It’s no wonder that, when the national television broadcast shows a September game in Miami, the audience sees players on the sideline looking for oxygen in the humid, 95-degree weather. Though the heat doesn’t downgrade the skill position players on either roster, it’s worth at least recognizing that maybe that day isn’t the day to roster a player like Will Fuller who has dealt with hamstring issues in the past, or other players with soft-tissue injuries that could be susceptible to a re-injury due to the heat.
Cold
The cold weather games are always interesting ones to watch as they, more often than not, impact teams going on the road to say New England or Chicago during the winter months when they are used to playing in either a dome or warmer climates. It shouldn’t be too surprising that New England is considered to be such a home-field advantage to the Patriots during the playoffs as, more often than not, the team that they end up playing is not one equipped to handle the cold and the usual snow that comes with it. Towards the end of last season, we watched as the Rams struggle to do anything offensively as they scored just six points in a 15-6 loss to Chicago. The temperatures that Sunday night dipped into the low 30s. Both quarterbacks struggled while the defenses imposed their will as they collected a total of seven interceptions between Jared Goff and Mitchel Trubisky.
Vegas
Vegas is a great indicator of whether or not the weather will impact a game. Often times, you will see the lines move throughout the morning in games in which it looks like it may be impacted by Mother Nature in one way or the other. The Over/Under totals will be the indicator here. If Vegas thinks the weather will play a role in decreased scoring then you need to think that will be the case for your fantasy roster as well, and look to make the pivots where you can. In DFS you should consider adjusting your lineups accordingly.
So again, don’t ignore the weather. In fact, before you make any roster decision head on over to the Fantasy Alarm weather center where we give you up-to-date analysis on the day’s forecast. For a glimpse of what to expect you can check out our MLB Weather center here and know that come football season, you will find a similar offering.