The good thing about early-season games is you don't have to worry about snow and cold. Unfortunately, you still have to worry about everything else. Sure enough, the Week 1 NFL weather forecast features some rain, a little bit of wind, and a couple games with notably high temperatures that could affect your fantasy start 'em, sit 'em decisions. Fortunately, RotoGrinders' meteorologist Kevin Roth is here to help us break down the weather updates you need to know.
Before we get into the Week 1 forecasts, here's a reminder that if you have any questions about sports weather or how weather could impact play (and, potentially, your fantasy, DFS, and gambling decisions), don't hesitate to reach out to RotoGrinders' meteorologist Kevin Roth on Twitter (@KevinRothWx) or check out the hourly NFL weather forecasts on RotoGrinders. To take your game to the next level, subscribe to RotoGrinders' exclusive WeatherEdge tool and see how different weather conditions have impacted historical scoring.
WEEK 1 FANTASY PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kicker
NFL Week 1 weather forecast and updates
Forecasts courtesy for Kevin Roth at RotoGrinders
Bills @ Rams. It's going to be hot in L.A., with kickoff temperatures in the low 90s. Ultimately, that's not going to stop you from starting Cooper Kupp, Josh Allen, or any other usual starter from these teams, but just be aware that you might see more cramping and substitutions than usual.
Steelers @ Bengals. There's around a 65-percent chance of rain for the latter half of this game, which doesn't figure to help the passing or kicking games. Is it enough reason to bench Tee Higgins or Diontae Johnson? No, but sleepers like George Pickens and Chase Claypool become slightly riskier. Overall, this profiles well for the RBs.
Patriots @ Dolphins. The outlook here is similar to Steelers-Bengals, with some rain showers likely. The wrinkle to this game is that temperatures are expected to be in the low 90s. Again, that's not a reason to bench any usual starters, but it's something to keep in mind. The rain won't help the young QBs, and among the pass-catchers, Tyreek Hill is the only "must-start." TE Hunter Henry is also still in play.
WEEK 1 STANDARD FANTASY RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kicker
WEEK 1 DFS LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel | Yahoo
49ers @ Bears. There's about a 50-percent chance of rain throughout for this one, plus there could be 10-12-mph winds. The wind alone isn't a big deal, but with the rain -- which could turn into a downpour at times -- it could slow down the respective passing games. That might not necessarily hurt Trey Lance, who could just wind up running more, but if the forecast gets worse, that might be enough reason to bench Brandon Aiyuk, Cole Kmet, and maybe even Darnell Mooney, depending on your other options. (UPDATE: The wind is now expected to be closer to 15-20 mph, and the rain will likely be heavy early in the game. It should lighten up in the second half, but scenes of heavy rain on the pregame shows will surely scare some fantasy owners. Play it safe here and focus on the RBs and D/STs. Fortunately, Trey Lance and Deebo Samuel both run enough that they can still be in fantasy lineups.)
Browns @ Panthers. Another game with around 35-50-percent chance of rain. Given how weak both passing games are, you're likely looking at starting just D.J. Moore and Amari Cooper, but that would be true even if there was no chance of spotty showers.
Jaguars @ Commanders. There's a high chance of rain at some point in this game, which makes every receiver outside of Terry McLaurin even riskier than they already are. Expect a good amount of running and a solid performances from the D/STs. (UPDATE: It now looks like rain will clear by kickoff, so there's no reason to bench anyone you were planning to start.)
Giants @ Titans. With a 70-percent chance of rain, this game is likely to see showers at some point. Neither team projects to do much in the passing game, so start 'em, sit 'em decisions probably won't be affected too much. Robert Woods and Kadarius Toney are likely the only real "bubble" WRs in this one, and both can still be used as WR3s or flexes barring the forecast taking a turn for the worse.
WEEK 1 DFS: Best values | Best stacks
All of this is subject to change as we get closer to kickoff. You can follow meteorologist Kevin Roth on Twitter (@KevinRothWx) and check out the hourly NFL weather forecasts on RotoGrinders. For the best weather-related fantasy advice, take a look at WeatherEdge.
