Week 3 brings the first real storm system of the season, with a Nor'easter tracking up the East Coast and putting two Sunday afternoon games squarely in its path. One of those games is already carrying the worst rain-and-wind combination of the year, and the other isn't far behind. Everything else on the slate is comparatively tame, with a couple of dry-but-breezy games that look worse on paper than they'll actually play. Layer in a Week 3 injury report that has already knocked out two starting quarterbacks for the season or the near future, and a small handful of games look considerably shakier than the raw forecast numbers suggest. Using kickoff-hour forecasts along with the latest injury news and season-to-date trends, here is the full breakdown of every Week 3 game and what it means for your DFS builds.

NFL Week 3 Weather Forecast

Sunday, September 27 (early window)

  • Chargers at Bills, 1:00 PM ET, Highmark Stadium: 66 degrees at kickoff, 8 mph wind out of the NE with gusts to 17 mph, rain barely a factor at 1 to 3 percent all game.
  • Panthers at Browns, 1:00 PM ET, Huntington Bank Field: 68 degrees at kickoff, 0 percent rain, but wind sustained at 13 mph out of the N with gusts reaching 18 to 20 mph.
  • Bengals at Steelers, 1:00 PM ET, Acrisure Stadium: 66 degrees at kickoff, dry at 0 to 2 percent rain, with wind sustained at 12 to 14 mph out of the N and gusts up to 21 mph.
  • Jets at Lions, 1:00 PM ET, Ford Field: fixed dome closed, no weather impact.
  • Texans at Colts, 1:00 PM ET, Lucas Oil Stadium: retractable roof closed, no weather impact.
  • Patriots at Jaguars, 1:00 PM ET, EverBank Stadium: 83 degrees at kickoff climbing to 85, 8 to 9 mph wind out of the W, rain a non-factor at 0 percent.
  • Chiefs at Dolphins, 1:00 PM ET, Hard Rock Stadium: 83 degrees at kickoff, light 3 to 5 mph wind, rain starting at 2 percent and ticking up to 12 percent late.
  • Titans at Giants, 1:00 PM ET, MetLife Stadium: 63 degrees at kickoff climbing to 65, rain already at 86 percent before kickoff and holding at 87 percent all game, with wind sustained at 17 to 18 mph out of the N and gusts up to 40 mph. This is a Nor'easter game, by far the worst forecast of the week.
  • Seahawks at Commanders, 1:00 PM ET, Northwest Stadium: 63 to 64 degrees, rain at 43 to 44 percent all game, wind sustained at 18 to 20 mph out of the NW with gusts to 28 mph, driven by the same coastal storm system tracking through the Mid-Atlantic.

Sunday, September 27 (afternoon window)

  • Cardinals at 49ers, 4:05 PM ET, Levi's Stadium: 65 to 67 degrees, 0 percent rain, wind starting at 5 mph and climbing to 12 mph late with gusts up to 20 mph.
  • Vikings at Buccaneers, 4:05 PM ET, Raymond James Stadium: 86 degrees at kickoff, dropping to 79, 0 percent rain, wind a mild 3 to 5 mph throughout.
  • Ravens at Cowboys, 4:25 PM ET, Maracana Stadium (Rio de Janeiro): 72 to 73 degrees, wind light at 4 to 10 mph, rain building from 22 percent to a peak of 37 percent mid-game before easing back to 33 percent. Forecast confidence here is lower than for the rest of the slate given the location.
  • Raiders at Saints, 4:25 PM ET, Caesars Superdome: fixed dome closed, no weather impact.

Sunday, September 27 (night)

  • Rams at Broncos, 8:20 PM ET, Empower Field at Mile High: 82 degrees at kickoff dropping to 72, rain negligible at 0 to 1 percent, wind 7 to 12 mph with gusts up to 18 mph.

Monday, September 28

  • Eagles at Bears, 8:15 PM ET, Soldier Field: 64 degrees at kickoff, dropping to 62, 0 percent rain, wind essentially calm all night.

 

 

 

Worst Weather Games in Week 3

Titans at Giants is not a close call this week. An 87 percent rain chance combined with wind sustained at 17 to 18 mph and gusts up to 40 mph is a genuinely different tier of weather than anything the league has seen so far this season, and it's landing on a game where both passing attacks are already shaky. New York is set to start Jameis Winston again after Jaxson Dart's knee injury ended his season, and Winston was rough in relief last week (111 yards passing, 4.1 yards per attempt, an interception thrown at the goal line). Tennessee is 0-2, and Cam Ward hasn't thrown for 200 yards in a game all season behind an offense that's averaging only 15 points and 22 minutes of possession per contest. A Nor'easter on top of two offenses already struggling to move the ball through the air points toward a run-and-punt kind of afternoon.

Seahawks at Commanders is the same storm system, just farther south, and it's nearly as disruptive: 43 to 44 percent rain and wind sustained at 18 to 20 mph with gusts to 28 mph. This one is also a backup-quarterback game on both sides. Washington's Jayden Daniels is out again with a dislocated elbow, the same injury that ended his 2025 season, so Marcus Mariota starts in his place. Seattle, meanwhile, is already working without Sam Darnold (glute), with Drew Lock having won both of his starts in relief. Wind and rain on top of two backup quarterbacks is a tough combination for anyone hoping to roster either passing game.

Ravens at Cowboys in Rio is a distant third in terms of raw numbers, with rain building to a peak of 37 percent in the middle of the game, but the injury situation adds real uncertainty. Dallas is down four defenders, including safety Malik Hooker and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, while Baltimore's top receiver Zay Flowers did not practice this week with a hamstring issue, and left tackle Ronnie Stanley is dealing with a toe injury. None of that is weather-driven, but it means a moderate rain chance is landing on two banged-up rosters rather than two full-strength ones.

Best Weather Games in Week 3

Eagles at Bears is as clean as it gets, with 0 percent rain and wind essentially calm for the entire Monday night broadcast. Cardinals at 49ers and Vikings at Buccaneers are also dry all game, with wind staying mild enough in both spots that it shouldn't factor into anything. Chargers at Bills and Chiefs at Dolphins round out the clean group, with rain never climbing out of single digits to low double digits in either game.

Panthers at Browns and Bengals at Steelers will be windy, with gusts up to 20 mph in both games, but both are dry, and wind alone at those speeds is not typically enough to force real fantasy swaps. The more relevant story in both games is on the field rather than in the sky. Bryce Young has thrown for 648 yards and six touchdowns against a single interception through two games for Carolina, though the Panthers did just lose running back Jonathon Brooks to IR with a groin injury, leaving Chuba Hubbard as the clear lead back. In Pittsburgh, Cincinnati arrives 2-0 with Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase clicking and a defense that ranks eighth in scoring, while the Steelers offense sits 31st in scoring and has struggled to protect Aaron Rodgers behind a shaky offensive line.

And do not forget the three games played with a closed roof. Jets-Lions, Texans-Colts, and Raiders-Saints are all shielded from the outdoor forecast entirely, so weather is a non-factor no matter how the sky looks outside. Houston's game is worth a separate flag for reasons that have nothing to do with the dome: receiver Nico Collins is dealing with a hamstring injury that has already cost him one game and puts his Week 3 availability in real doubt.

 

 

 

Rain and Snow Impact on Fantasy Football

There is no snow this week, but the Nor'easter affecting Titans-Giants and Seahawks-Commanders is a far bigger story than any single-game rain chance the league has dealt with so far this season. Sustained rain in that range typically pushes both offenses toward the run and short passing game, and it tends to hit boundary receivers hardest since contested downfield throws become far less reliable in steady wind and rain.

Both of the Nor'easter games are also the ones to treat carefully at kicker. Wet footing and swirling wind are a rough combination for long field goal tries, so kickers in Titans-Giants and Seahawks-Commanders should be treated with real caution on anything outside 40 yards. Ravens-Cowboys carries a more moderate rain chance that peaks in the middle of the game, which is worth knowing but not something that should change your approach nearly as much as the two Nor'easter games.

Wind Impact on Fantasy Football

Wind is where this week gets more complicated than it looks at first glance. Titans-Giants (17 to 18 mph sustained, gusts to 40) and Seahawks-Commanders (18 to 20 mph sustained, gusts to 28) are both genuinely disruptive, and paired with the rain in both games, they're a real reason to expect lower passing volume and tighter special-teams decisions.

Panthers at Browns and Bengals at Steelers are a different story. Both carry sustained wind in the 12 to 14 mph range with gusts up to 20 mph, but with 0 percent rain in both games, wind alone at that speed is unlikely to meaningfully change accuracy or kicking range. Everything else on the slate stays in a calm single-digit-to-low-teens band that shouldn't factor into lineup decisions at all.

 

 

 

NFL Games to Avoid in DFS Because of Weather

Titans at Giants is the clear top fade this week. An 87 percent rain chance and wind gusting to 40 mph would be reason enough on their own, and pairing that with Jameis Winston coming off a rough relief outing and a Titans offense that hasn't produced a 200-yard passer all season makes this one of the tougher environments to build around all year.

Seahawks at Commanders is right behind it, with 44 percent rain and wind gusting to 28 mph landing on a game already started by two backup quarterbacks, Marcus Mariota and Drew Lock.

Ravens at Cowboys deserves a lighter downgrade, with a rain chance that peaks at 37 percent in Rio and a forecast that carries more uncertainty than usual given the location, on top of both rosters dealing with notable absences on defense and along Baltimore's offensive line. Everything else on the slate, from the three closed-roof games to the clean forecasts in Chicago, Santa Clara, and Tampa, should play out without weather being a real factor in how you build your lineups.