Generally, Week 2 of the NFL looks unlikely to be heavily impacted by the weather. However, there are two games in Jacksonville, Fla., and North Carolina where some wind and rain could cause havoc for the kicking and deep passing games.
Let’s have a look at what the weather forecast around the league for NFL Week 2 has in store and the fantasy football impact of those forecasts.
What Is the Fantasy Impact of the Week 2 NFL Weather?
The National Weather Service‘s weather forecasts for the games are up to date as of 6 a.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024.
Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars | Sunday, 1 p.m.
- Expected Temperature: Low 80s
- Showers: 40% chance at kickoff
- Wind: 16-18 mph northeasterly
This game could be heavily impacted by the weather, with wind and rain forecasted. The wind will whip down the stadium from the northern end to the southern end, which could have a major impact on passing and kicking games in both directions.
For kickers aiming towards the northern end, they should see their distance shortened significantly, while the other direction should have its range extended. From a passing perspective, we may see balls being knocked down when going towards the northern end of the stadium and also seeing balls sails when going towards the southern end.
This weather makes me hesitant to start anyone in the Browns’ passing game. They already have question marks over Deshaun Watson’s play, and now the wind will cause added complications. There are also concerns over the Jaguars, but Christian Kirk and Brian Thomas Jr. are both borderline starts.
If you are 50-50 on either Kirk or Thomas, then this weather may make you decide to sit them for that other option this week.
Los Angeles Chargers at Carolina Panthers | Sunday, 1 p.m.
- Expected Temperature: High 70s
- Showers: <10% chance at kickoff
- Wind: 14 mph northeasterly with gusts up to 22 mph
This game could see the wind impacting it with cross winds ranging into that 20 mph or higher region. These will be a crosswind, so it could have an impact on both the passing and kicking games. The impact should be significant, especially with no wet or cold weather accompanying it, but it should be there.
The wind in this game serves as a potential difference-maker in your final decision process. If you are on the fence about starting Josh Palmer, Ladd McConkey, or Diontae Johnson, you should probably bench them. The biggest impact may well be on Cameron Dicker, who is expected to be a regular starting kicker this year, but the weather is not significant enough to make him an immediate sit this week.
Las Vegas Raiders at Baltimore Ravens | Sunday, 1 p.m.
- Expected Temperature: Low 80s
- Showers: <10% chance at kickoff
- Wind: 13 mph easterly
This game in Baltimore should not be too heavily impacted by the weather, but it is borderline with the winds. We typically look at anything in the 15-20 mph region as starting to have an impact, and the current forecast is sitting at 13. Therefore, we should not see a major impact, but there could be a little bit at times.
The impact will be mostly on the kicking game, which could reduce coaches’ willingness to go for it when kicking towards the eastern end of the stadium. The counterpoint is that we may see coaches more willing to go for long field goals in the opposite direction. This element is extremely hard to factor into fantasy analysis, so for all intents and purposes, we should not be focusing too heavily on the weather here.
Indianapolis Colts at Green Bay Packers | Sunday, 1 p.m.
- Expected Temperature: Low to mid-80s
- Showers: <10% chance at kickoff
- Wind: 6 mph southerly
The weather forecast for this game is close to perfect. Nice temperatures, little wind, and no rain are forecasted. Therefore, we should see next to no impact on the passing or kicking games. That is especially good news for Anthony Richardson, who tends to rely on the deep passing game.
Seattle Seahawks at New England Patriots | Sunday, 1 p.m.
- Expected Temperature: High 70s
- Showers: <10% chance at kickoff
- Wind: 6 mph easterly
There are no major concerns for the game in New England this week. The wind will be light, and the temperatures will be friendly, which puts every option that normally would be firmly on the table. How many of these players you were starting is highly questionable, but for the ones you were leaning on, the weather should not stop you.
New York Jets at Tennessee Titans | Sunday, 1 p.m.
- Expected Temperature: Mid-to-high 80s
- Showers: <10% chance at kickoff but rising to 20% during the game
- Wind: 7-8 mph easterly
The main weather impact in this game could be light rain, but that is not generally an issue for fantasy managers. Therefore, for all intents and purposes, we should consider this game as being a clear one for starting any options you would normally. Any impact of the rain would be in dropped passes or fumbles, but those are very hard to predict.
New York Giants at Washington Commanders | Sunday, 1 p.m.
- Expected Temperature: High 70s
- Showers: <10% chance at kickoff
- Wind: 10 mph easterly
The wind in this game is borderline in terms of starting to impact the game, but it should not have any noticeable impact. If there is any, it would be more about the kicking game than the passing game, but there should be no major overreaction here.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos | Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
- Expected Temperature: High 80s
- Showers: 15% chance at kickoff
- Wind: 8 mph easterly
This game in Denver could see a little rain, but it should be fairly minimal. Light rain is not a major issue in itself, especially if it is not accompanied by wind or low temperatures. You likely were not starting many of the options in this passing game anyway, so any impact here should be very minimal. There may be some slight ball-handling concerns, but the outcomes there are hard to predict.
Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs | Sunday, 4:25 p.m.
- Expected Temperature: Mid-80s
- Showers: <10% chance at kickoff
- Wind: 8 mph southeasterly
As has been the theme for the most part this week, the weather in Kansas City should not have a major impact on the game at Arrowhead. With two potentially impressive passing games set to take to the field here, that is good news for fantasy managers all around.
Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles | Monday, 8:15 p.m.
- Expected Temperature: Low 70s
- Showers: <10% chance at kickoff
- Wind: 8 mph easterly
We are still more than 30 hours out from the game in Philadelphia at the time of writing, but once again, this should be a fine game from a weather perspective. The winds should not reach 10mph, let alone get into that 15-20 mph region. All normal starting options should be good to go.
Games Played in Stadiums With a Retractable Roof
- New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys | Sunday, 1 p.m.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions | Sunday, 1 p.m.
- San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings | Sunday, 1 p.m.
- Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals | Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
- Chicago Bears at Houston Texans | Sunday, 8:20 p.m.