Fantasy Football Week 2 Weather Report
For the second straight week, it looks like we're dodging a bullet.
Across the remaining Week 2 NFL games, only three have projected wind speeds in the double digits, and there are no massive rain threats.
It's still worth delving into those games with the elevated winds to see what -- if any -- impact it should have.
Let's dig into those now to touch base on how weather could impact your fantasy decisions this weekend.
All forecast info comes via Weather Underground unless noted otherwise. Check out numberFire's Games and Lineups page to see all updated forecasts.
Impactful Weather for Fantasy Football in Week 2
Chargers at Panthers Weather Forecast
Current forecast: Projected wind speeds of 12 miles per hour
As if you needed another reason to hesitate around the passing games for the Los Angeles Chargers and Carolina Panthers!
In Bryce Young's five career games in double-digit winds, the Panthers have maxed out at 21 points scored, and they've averaged just 11, including a shutout at home in Week 18 last year. All Panthers players are untouchable in DFS, and you'd better hope you have better options in season-long.
As for the Chargers, we don't need to downgrade much. Justin Herbert has actually outperformed numberFire's projections by an average of 1.2 points per game in his 10-game sample playing in double-digit wind speeds. With his strong arm, this makes sense.
With that said, the Chargers -- as expected -- had a -7.1% pass rate over expected (PROE) in Week 1, so we'll want to proceed with caution on the pass-catchers, even if it's not due to the weather. J.K. Dobbins is a viable option for DFS, and you can still consider Gus Edwards in season-long if need be with Derrick Brown out for the season.
Bengals at Chiefs Weather Forecast
Current forecast: Projected wind speeds of 10 miles per hour
With wind speeds at 10 miles per hour, we can give a slight tick down to the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs, but most of them will still be elite fantasy options.
From 2021 on, Patrick Mahomes has played 16 games with wind speeds between 10 and 15 miles per hour. He has underperformed numberFire's projections by 1.7 points there, but he has still averaged 281.1 passing yards per game. He's the QB2 in FanDuel Research's main DFS slate fantasy football projections despite being projected below that mark at 262.8. He's one of the top tier quarterback options for me in DFS, a no-brainer starter in season-long, and we can feel confident in Rashee Rice, Travis Kelce, and Xavier Worthy, as well.
The wind shouldn't bother Joe Burrow. He has outperformed his numberFire projections by 2.6 points per game across 17 games playing in wind speeds between 10 and 15 miles per hour. It's more his wrist and Tee Higgins' injury that should concern us.
Burrow's effectiveness in the wind is what keeps Ja'Marr Chase a prime DFS consideration and Andrei Iosivas a viable low-salaried option despite last week's disappointment. You'll have to decide whether they're worth the risk following that flop, but that's more about the overall infrastructure and Burrow's health than the weather.
Jets at Titans Weather Forecast
Current forecast: Projected wind speeds of 9 miles per hour with rain possible
This is primarily a fantasy-focused piece, but it is worth pointing out that my model shows value in the under for the New York Jets against the Tennessee Titans. We may have to sweat out a Will Levis pick six, but with the total up a point to 41.5, the under is a quality option for me.
With that said, it's status quo on the Jets' skill players. The market shares on Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson are too good to fret there, and Allen Lazard is startable in season-long until Mike Williams' pitch count goes up.
The Titans are where the issues arise. They played in somewhat windy conditions last week, too, and Calvin Ridley was the only player to earn more than five targets (seven). DeAndre Hopkins' snaps are expected to rise, but with potential weather issues combined with Levis' ineffectiveness, Ridley's the only pass-catcher here I'd feel even somewhat comfortable starting.
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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.