BustedKnuckles
Footballguy
Strategy session
I survived to play another day in my Fantasy league. What do I need to know about weather, how it impacts football players and whether or not it impacts my Fantasy lineup?
There are two schools of thought when it comes to Fantasy Football and watching the skies: One says to start your studs regardless of the conditions, the other says to factor the conditions heavily into your lineup choices. The reality is that if there's something that's going to potentially impact the stats of a player on your Fantasy team, you can't outright ignore it.
First, let's get you straight on the three prominent weather conditions that Fantasy owners will face in the next month.
Rain: The rule of thumb here is that anything from a light drizzle to your typical thunderstorm won't impact a football game. That's because referees and ball boys do a good job of keeping the football dry in between plays, players tend to wear gloves in inclement weather, and the field crew at most NFL stadiums keep the field in good shape (drainage systems in all cities except Pittsburgh are also very functional). Only when a team plays in a torrential downpour should Fantasy owners think twice as field vision, ball handling and receiving and pass trajectory are compromised, as is the condition of the field which could lead to slipping when a player tries to cut. Usually, torrential rain means more running and less passing.
Wind: Believe it or not, wind impacts a game far more than rain, but it has to be a strong wind. Anything under 15 miles per hour is meaningless and anything under 20 miles per hour won't make much of a dent except on the softest of deep touch passes and field goal attempts. It's when wind gusts pop to around 25 miles per hour or so when passes start to sail and the kicking game dissolves. Granted, quarterbacks and kickers are educated on how wind can play with their passes, but sometimes gross readjustments can lead to turnovers and missed scores. Additionally, the direction of the wind also plays a role -- if we're playing football in a wind storm, but the wind is at our backs, then our passes will go even longer and we can score some points. But if the wind is smacking us in the face, we're going to have some problems. Only if winds are really howling should Fantasy owners reconsider a quarterback or a receiver, and that goes double if it's raining or snowing.
Snow: Usually, if it's snowing, it's cold outside. A light snow flurry is delightful to watch, and not so bad to play in. But when the white stuff is coming down, it's harder to see down field. When it's coming down and sticking to the field, there's a lot of issues. Not only can you not see, but it's impossible to run effectively. And when it's coming down, sticking to the field and colder than North Dakota in January, the conditions are really bad. The game plays slower. In that case, snow can become icy and thus lead to a lot of slipping and sliding, even if you're running in the longest of cleats. Usually when it's snowing outside, you can expect a lot of work for running backs.
The key point to remember is this: No weather condition is bad for a running back, other than a sloppy field. But any of these conditions, when extreme, play serious havoc with a passing game, especially one that relies on deep routes. It takes timing and accuracy to make a pass work, and if those elements can't be perfect because of the weather, gaudy statistics won't follow.
per cbssportsline
I survived to play another day in my Fantasy league. What do I need to know about weather, how it impacts football players and whether or not it impacts my Fantasy lineup?
There are two schools of thought when it comes to Fantasy Football and watching the skies: One says to start your studs regardless of the conditions, the other says to factor the conditions heavily into your lineup choices. The reality is that if there's something that's going to potentially impact the stats of a player on your Fantasy team, you can't outright ignore it.
First, let's get you straight on the three prominent weather conditions that Fantasy owners will face in the next month.
Rain: The rule of thumb here is that anything from a light drizzle to your typical thunderstorm won't impact a football game. That's because referees and ball boys do a good job of keeping the football dry in between plays, players tend to wear gloves in inclement weather, and the field crew at most NFL stadiums keep the field in good shape (drainage systems in all cities except Pittsburgh are also very functional). Only when a team plays in a torrential downpour should Fantasy owners think twice as field vision, ball handling and receiving and pass trajectory are compromised, as is the condition of the field which could lead to slipping when a player tries to cut. Usually, torrential rain means more running and less passing.
Wind: Believe it or not, wind impacts a game far more than rain, but it has to be a strong wind. Anything under 15 miles per hour is meaningless and anything under 20 miles per hour won't make much of a dent except on the softest of deep touch passes and field goal attempts. It's when wind gusts pop to around 25 miles per hour or so when passes start to sail and the kicking game dissolves. Granted, quarterbacks and kickers are educated on how wind can play with their passes, but sometimes gross readjustments can lead to turnovers and missed scores. Additionally, the direction of the wind also plays a role -- if we're playing football in a wind storm, but the wind is at our backs, then our passes will go even longer and we can score some points. But if the wind is smacking us in the face, we're going to have some problems. Only if winds are really howling should Fantasy owners reconsider a quarterback or a receiver, and that goes double if it's raining or snowing.
Snow: Usually, if it's snowing, it's cold outside. A light snow flurry is delightful to watch, and not so bad to play in. But when the white stuff is coming down, it's harder to see down field. When it's coming down and sticking to the field, there's a lot of issues. Not only can you not see, but it's impossible to run effectively. And when it's coming down, sticking to the field and colder than North Dakota in January, the conditions are really bad. The game plays slower. In that case, snow can become icy and thus lead to a lot of slipping and sliding, even if you're running in the longest of cleats. Usually when it's snowing outside, you can expect a lot of work for running backs.
The key point to remember is this: No weather condition is bad for a running back, other than a sloppy field. But any of these conditions, when extreme, play serious havoc with a passing game, especially one that relies on deep routes. It takes timing and accuracy to make a pass work, and if those elements can't be perfect because of the weather, gaudy statistics won't follow.
per cbssportsline
