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Many of you love fantasy sports, especially football. I mean, heck, 41.5 million people played it this year alone. With respect to all other sports, lets face it, fantasy football is the real fantasy sport.
Even I get it. The two years I did it, I enjoyed it and it took up little of my time (even though I was incredibly bad). Well, with the fantasy football playoffs beginning this week for many leagues, we here at Wx Or Not have decided to begin a Fantasy Football forecast! Hopefully many of your players play in domes, or at least know how to prepare for the conditions.
What I will do is give the game, and the time, and then a bit of commentary on the game itself. Then I will give a brief overview of why I made the forecast I did. The gametime forecast will then follow, and I will have scale of 1-10 on the odds that the weather significantly impacts your players (1 being the least and 10 the most).
Thursday, December 4th
Dallas @ Chicago; 7:25 PM CST: I am not afraid to give bias here. I am not a fan of the Cowboys, and how they get beat by about 70 thousand. However, I don’t think that happens. This is an outdoor stadium, so if you have any players in this game, they will have to brave the elements! Maybe the Cowgirls Cowboys can muscle through conditions they aren’t used to. Bears can handle to cold.
Gametime Forecast: Mostly cloudy, and around 38º. Winds light out of the southeast. Temperatures should hold steadily within the mid to upper 30s throughout the game, with isolated showers becoming a threat towards the end of the game. Weather impact: 3/10 due to cold.
Sunday, December 7th
Baltimore @ Miami; 12 PM CST: You’d think this one will be easy. Miami is in south Florida, and its always sunny there, right? Wrong. Except for this day, because that is the forecast I have. If you have any players in this game: play them.
With cooler and drier air settling over south Florida this weekend, this will likely be the best weather of any game this week. If you can’t have a guy have a good game in this one, good luck!
Gametime Forecast: 77º, with a light north wind and mostly sunny. Temps may fall a degree or two, but it should remain nice throughout the afternoon. Weather impact: 1/10.
Indianapolis @ Cleveland; 12 PM CST: I feel really bad for Indianapolis this week. They already have to reside in Indiana, but having to go to Cleveland may be a worse punishment for only being 8-4 with one of the best young QBs in years. So, if you have Andrew Luck, you are lucky. No matter how far down Indianapolis may find themselves in this game, they can always have hope that Andrew Luck can pull them out.
A cooler airmass will be in place by Sunday, so that may defer some from playing their players. I would play my players in this game, but because of the cold, if you don’t have to, I would think twice.
Gametime Forecast: 35º, with some low clouds early. The clouds should clear, but temps won’t rise with a 10-15 mph northeast breeze. Weather impact: 4/10 because of cold and breeze.
Carolina @ New Orleans; 12 PM CST: This’ll be a fun one to forecast, mainly because it is a dome. The fact that this is a game between two teams that are in an awful division (the leader is below .500) makes it even more fun. So, play your players. You may not get many more dome games. I mean the conditions are always impeccable (unless the power goes out)!
(h/t giphy.com)
There will be no rain. No snow. Sea level pressure will be about average. No wind. No hail. No polar vortex. Just the dome, some fans, and two bad football teams.
Gametime Forecast: Whatever the grounds crew sets the temperature to be. The fans can impact this by bringing portable heaters into the stadium, and could even bring some fans in to give the players a nice breeze. Otherwise, expect a really boring weather game and a really easy forecast. Weather impact: 0/10.
Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati; 12 PM CST: So many of my friends like both of these teams that I can’t help but wish they could both lose. It is only hurt by the fact that Andy Dalton is the most overpaid employee in the history of the world. I hope he loses because of that. However, if you have AJ Green, conditions shouldn’t be too bad to play him. Heck, I’d play him if it were snowing. That guy is good.
High pressure will be settling in on the region, but there will still be some low level clouds that should be tougher to peel away. There should me a mix between sun and clouds, with cool temps across the area throughout the game. No precipitation is expected at this time.
Gametime Forecast: 37º and mostly cloudy. Low level clouds should begin to be in and out as the game moves on, but expect cool conditions with a light northeasterly breeze. Weather impact: 3/10 due to cold.
Tampa Bay @ Detroit; 12 PM CST: I feel like the Lions are one of the biggest positives about Detroit. They have Calvin Johnson, an underachieving QB in Matt Stafford, and a good defensive line. They also play in a dome, which makes my life much easier. Its just sad that some northern teams defer to domes instead of outdoor stadiums. Those would give us more snow games. Nevertheless, if you have Megatron, always play him. Rain, freezing rain, acid rain, hail, etc.
High pressure and colder conditions will be the weather outside the stadium, but that shouldn’t effect the players at all. All this forecasting for domes has me like…
(h/t giphy.com)
Gametime Forecast: A toasty 80º (guess at the temp settings there). No winds, no clouds. Bright lights, and a bad Bucs team. Weather impact: 0/10
Houston @ Jacksonville; 12 PM CST: JJ Watt for president. That guy can really do it all. Houston’s offense may be a mess, but my goodness JJ Watt helps take care of it. He is good everywhere, and if you have Houston’s defense, he has likely helped you considerably.
With high pressure building into the region, expect conditions to be favorable for any of your team’s players to have success in this game. Temps will be mild, and winds lighter with mostly sunny skies.
Gametime Forecast: 64º, with mostly sunny skies. Winds will be light and it will just be a nice day for Jacksonville to get beat….again. Weather impact: 1/10.
New York Jets @ Minnesota; 12 PM CST: I initially thought this was a dome game, but when I did some research, I was pleased to find out that this was outside! Honestly, neither of these teams are that great. However, even without Adrian Peterson, I still feel like the Vikings have a better shot at home.
While Minneapolis will be on the backside of a high pressure system (southerly flow returns), temps will start cold and stay cold. Low level moisture will be on the increase, so clouds should do the same as the day progresses.
Gametime Forecast: 27º, but increasing slightly throughout the game. Winds out of the southeast at 5-10 mph, and a slim chance of light precip. Weather impact: 4/10 because of the cold.
New York Giants @ Tennessee; 12 PM CST: Both of these teams are just straight up bad. I wouldn’t wanna root for either of them. Usually, I would expect the Giants to be bad and then make a late season run from 8-8 to the super bowl. However, at 3-9, that won’t happen. I feel bad for your team if you have players from here, unless you have Odell Beckham Jr….
(h/t giphy.com)
High pressure will be settling in over the Ohio valley, which will keep temps cool but the game free of any precip. This will also keep winds out of the northeast, and because low level moisture will be in and out, a mix between clouds and sun should be expected.
Gametime Forecast: 40º, with a mix between clouds and sun. Winds out of the northeast at 5-10 mph, with precip chances at a minimum. Weather impact: 2/10.
St. Louis @ Washington; 12 PM CST: The Rams are, unfortunately, my favorite team. Luckily, they have been rolling recently. They beat Seattle earlier this season, and are respectably 5-7 without their starting QB. Washington is having issue in general at just about every level. Plus, Washington is lame.
Because there will be a tight pressure gradient, I would anticipate winds being the biggest issue here at gametime. Winds could be around 15 mph or a bit higher, and this will make it feel a bit colder. As a low pressure system moves away, drier air will be infiltrating the region, creating mostly sunny skies for the game. This creates a good environment to play any players you have in this game.
Gametime Forecast: 38º, with winds out of the NNE at 10-15 mph. Skies should be sunny, making for a nice game. Weather impact: 4/10 because of winds.
Buffalo @ Denver; 3:05 PM CST: Peyton Manning is the best. That is about all I have to say about this game. I mean, Buffalo is good, but they aren’t that good. If they decided to bring some frozen snowballs and throw them at the Broncos, then maybe they have a shot.
The Mile-High City is looking pretty nice for this game, though under the influence of a weak surface low, they should be able to escape thick clouds and precip. Even temperatures for the game look to be relatively mild.
Gametime Forecast: 47º, with temps increasing a bit throughout the game. Skies should remain partly cloudy, and there is always a chance Manning breaks his own records.
Kansas City @ Arizona; 3:05 PM CST: The problem here is that this game will be essentially starting at the same time all of the others do, just not where we live. Another problem arises when we think about how good the Cardinals are. They are really good, and are good enough to make the playoffs. Because this is in a pseudo-dome and in Arizona, I would play any players that you have in this game.
The tough part about this forecast is whether or not they open the dome. Arizona plays in a dome that can be closed or opened at any time. Even then, the fact that it isn’t fully a dome makes a big impact on how the temperatures are modified. For this forecast, we will assume they keep the dome closed.
Gametime Forecast: Calm conditions within the dome. Comfortable temps, and an Arizona win. Weather impact: 0/10 because domes are pretty sweet.
San Francisco @ Oakland; 3:25 PM CST: Odds are the weather won’t really make an impact here. Many of you were likely smart enough to avoid choosing a player from the Raiders, especially a QB. If you are one of the sorry souls that did, I am sorry. They are 1-11.
(h/t giphy.com)
However, if you have a player from the 49ers. Play them.
Highs in this game will likely be pretty nice and in the 60s. However, clouds should be there either at game time, or shortly after as moisture begins to stream in ahead of the next low pressure system out in the Pacific.
Gametime Forecast: 55º, but rising into the low 60s. Clouds increasing, but little chances of precip. Winds don’t look to be much of an issue. Weather Impact: 1/10.
Seattle @ Philadelphia; 3:25 PM CST: This will likely be the game everyone wants to watch, and I am sure many have players in this game. This is a match up between two of the better teams in the NFL, and quite honestly, will likely have a big impact within all Fantasy Leagues, whether it be your team or another.
Similarly to the forecast for the Washington game, Philadelphia will be having a lot of dry air infiltrating the region following the passage of a cold front. This will lead to clearer skies, but cool temps and gustier winds.
Gametime Forecast: 38º and falling throughout the game. Clear skies, and winds 10-15 mph. Weather impact: 4/10 because of winds and cool temps.
New England @ San Diego; 7:30 PM CST: The weather for San Diego always sounds awesome. Sunny, a bit of a breeze, and 66º a lot. That is basically what both of these teams will be facing, as they face off in what will likely be a good game. This game likely has significant meaning for many fantasy leagues, as if Tom Brady lays an egg, then the best team may be out. Who knows.
Moisture at all levels of the atmosphere looks a bit iffy, so I don’t necessarily thinks clouds are gonna be a huge issue here. There could be some clouds, but overall it should be mostly clear, and warmer. Winds won’t be an issue.
Gametime Forecast: 65º and sunny. Skies should stay mostly clear, with winds remaining calm and precip chances staying basically at 0. Its almost like an exterior dome…. Weather impact: 0/10.
Monday, December 8th
Monday is where a fantasy game can be won and lost, and can even change the tide of a season. So, Monday night football rules, and plus, everyone loves an extra day of football!
(h/t giphy.com)
Atlanta @ Green Bay; 7:30 PM CST: Well, Atlanta is just not very good, and Green Bay is. Also, Green Bay has one of the best home crowds in the NFL. Additionally, Atlanta plays in a dome. This leaves them a bit less prepared for the rough Green Bay conditions. I would be conservative on players that aren’t as necessary in this game.
(Also: Randall Cobb is a beast.)
It looks like a stronger cold front is gonna push through the Green Bay area on Monday, leaving temperatures decreasing quickly and winds increasing from the west. With the lower atmosphere having some moisture there, clouds look to be a good bet, but precip doesn’t look likely.
Gametime Forecast: 28º and falling throughout the game. Winds will be in the range of 15 to 20 mph, with some higher gusts. Weather impact: 5/10 because of winds and cold.
Overall, this isn’t looking like too crazy of a weather week for the NFL games. Most of you should be good to go on playing your best players in all of their games. If you know that some of your players play worse in cold environments, though, I would pay attention to the forecasts going forward and think about how another player might perform in place of them. Good luck in your playoff endeavors!