NFL Week 17 Weather Update: Snow, Rain, Wind, Cold Forecast Could Influence Fantasy Start Decisions

Despite a lot of mess when the fantasy football season comes to an end, the owners have had a pretty easy life in terms of weather. Well, that will change in Week 17. Forecasts for almost every outdoor game show the possibility of wind, rain, snow, and/or frigid temperatures. It may not be too serious in terms of your decision to start, but it’s still another factor you’ll have to take into account. Fortunately, Meteorologist Kevin Roth of RotoGrinders to help us share the NFL weather updates you need to know ahead of championship week.

Before we get into the Week 17 forecast, here’s a reminder that if you have any questions about sports weather or how the weather might affect play (and, potentially, play). your gambling, DFS and fantasy decisions), don’t hesitate to contact RotoGrinders Meteorologist Kevin Roth on Twitter (@KevinRothWx) or check hourly NFL weather forecast on RotoGrinders. To take your game to the next level, subscribe to RotoGrinders’ exclusive WeatherEdge engine and see how different weather conditions have affected scores historically.

WEEK 17 EFFECTS:

NFL Week 17 Weather Update

Forecasts are allowed for Kevin Roth at RotoGrinders

Chief @ Bengals. Temperatures will be around freezing with 10-15 mph winds. There may also be rain. Given the strong offenses in this game, you shouldn’t rate any “must start” based on the weather, but everything is less than optimal.

Giants @ Bears. It will be cold – like a cold 20 degrees – and with winds of about 15-20 mph, it will be even colder. Given the deadly nature of these two crimes, it could even turn out to be a sloppy, more challenging game than was initially expected. Other than the original RB, Bears D/ST, and possibly Darnell Mooney, this feels like a trip away.

WEEK 17 USING DFS:

Eagles @ Washington. This game won’t be cold, but with winds around 12 mph and the possibility of sizable rain, it could turn nasty. Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert still have to start because of the game (unlikely to soar in terms of chance/heaviness of expected rain), but the RBs and Eagles’ D/ST are the best players. here. (Update: It looks like wind will be a little less present than at the start of the week, but the chance of rain is still 50%.)

Rams @ Ravens. The forecast here is very similar to the Eagles-Washington forecast, although it could be a bit windier. Again, unless there’s a change in forecast, there’s no need to lose a chance with the frontiersmen (or Baltimore’s QB). It will be difficult to sit Odell Beckham Jr. or Matthew Stafford in light of Baltimore’s recent defensive struggles, so we don’t recommend it, but lower your expectations a bit. The same goes for Hollywood Brown if he plays. Cooper Kupp and Mark Andrews are clearly still starters.

WEEK 17 STANDARD RATINGS:
Midfielder | Run back | Wide receiver | Tight ending | VND / ST | Kicker

Buccaneers @ Jets. This game will probably experience at least a little rain, but the wind will be more difficult to control. For now, there’s no reason to downgrade Tom Brady, his key receivers, or Ryan Succop. (Update: Chances of rain have been slightly reduced.)

Jaguar @ Patriotic. We are basically looking at the carbon copy forecast for this game which is the Bucs-Jets game. There’s not a lot of players in the pass games of either team you’ll start here, so there’s no need to make any radical changes to your starting plan. Hunter Henry is still a good play, and you can even try Jakobi Meyers in PPR tournaments as New England will still use his short pass play.

Falcons @ Bills. Classic Buffalo Winter Weather Here: Strong gusts in the 20s, 10-15 mph winds and possible sleet. It will be difficult to sit any component of Buffalo (or Kyle Pitts) main passing game, but step lightly if you can afford it. Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs are definitely still playing, but this could be a heavy game plan for both teams, which will really benefit Devin Singletary.

Dolphins @ Titans. There could be snow – yes, snow – and winds around 10-15 mph. Considering both of these teams are “warm weather” teams, it can even be sloppy/slower than most rain-likely games, but due to poor pass defense you still have to start Jaylen Waddle and AJ Brown (and possibly Mike Gesicki). RBs are also very risky as they can all be risky even in perfect conditions so be careful with this game.

WEEK 17 PPR RANKING:
Midfielder | Run back | Wide receiver | Tight ending | VND / ST | Kicker

Lions @ Seahawks. There’s a high chance of rain and wind around 10-15 mph, so like many other games this week, don’t force anyone. Amon-Ra. (Update: The winds appear to be even stronger than initially thought, possibly up to 20 mph. Chances are high.)

Vikings packer @. This is going to be very cold, with temperatures in single digits. How much that will affect offense is always difficult to predict, but for now, we recommend not sitting anyone you won’t.

MORE WEEK 17 DFS: The best stack | Best value | Squad Builder

All of this could change as we get closer to launch date. You can follow meteorologist Kevin Roth on Twitter (@KevinRothWx) and check hourly NFL weather forecast on RotoGrinders. For the best advice on weather-related fantasy, check out WeatherEdge.