On Weather: I've been asked a lot this week how I handle weather for my fantasy teams.
Here's what I do/use: I start tracking weather for Sunday's games on Thursday with the weather.com app.
I pay for the premium service, which gives hour-by-hour forecasts 4 days out. So at least I can start to get a good idea of what my players are going to have to deal with in terms of conditions. For the most part over the years, this app is highly accurate. I also use the Accuweather app as a backup, but it has not been as accurate for me as the other one.
As for wind: If it's below 20 mph, as a general guide, I'll start my QBs, WRs, TEs. If it's above that, I take each situation as a case by case basis.
As for rain: I rarely will bench my QB if it's raining, but if it's windy (20 mph or more) and raining, I'll probably look to start another QB. Now, if a QB has a history of doing well in bad conditions (see Rich Gannon for you old-timers, Brett Favre), then you should consider using him. 40 mph or higher all game, I'm going to look elsewhere.
There are no absolutes with weather and forecasts can and will change and even in game (see the ATL-CAR game), so just understand it's not easy to navigate these situations.
Bills: I know I've been talking about rookie RB Zack Moss a lot in this space and in other pieces for the website, but don't be surprised if he takes over the starting job soon. I'm trying to trade for him in a few leagues.
Moss fits the profile of what the coaches want to get out of the position: Inside grinder, good contact balance, finish off runs and also get tough yards in bad weather.
2nd-year RB Devin Singletary is best used in a change-up role, which might have happened had Moss not suffered a toe injury which would linger for several weeks.
We'll see what happens today, but Singletary has yet to put together a good performance this season; he'll need one today in order to stave off Moss.
Eagles: It certainly was surprising when I heard this week that TE Dallas Goedert was going to play. In fact, he revealed that he was not just dealing with a fractured tibia, but he was also dealing with a high ankle sprain. Yet, I'm told, he didn't have any issues in practice this week and the team and medical staff decided that he was ready to play. He suffered his injuries exactly 5 weeks ago in Week 3 against the visiting Bengals.
I'm going to use Goedert in the 2 leagues that I have him. There was no way they would put him out there unless he looked good and got cleared medically to play, which he did.
As for rookie RB Jalen Reagor (thumb surgery), he had no issues in practice this week and also showed that he was ready.
Reagor and John Hightower will line up at the "Z" position, but the good thing is Reagor's conditioning was good in practice this week, so he should play a decent amount this evening.
The matchup is great based on the production that the Cowboy defense is giving up, but since he has been out for 6 weeks, I'd be fairly conservative in his first game back. Flex option, #3 WR is a reasonable expectation for the rookie this week.
Packers: Starting WR Allen Lazard (muscle core surgery) was not activated off IR on Saturday, so he won't be able to play today.
He was given a 4-6 week recovery and he hit the 4-week mark this week.
If the team trades for a speed WR by Tuesday, Lazard's hold on the starting job might go away. Stay tuned.
Raiders: I had some questions this week about why RB Josh Jacobs has been struggling this season.
I keep an excel file on every key player on offense and defense in terms of injury listing each week (it's why if you listen to me with Hansen on SXM Fantasy Football I can reel off information within seconds) and how much he practiced that week, and looking at Jacobs, it's not surprising why he has not looked as good.
Here's his list of injuries this season:
Week 2-ankle, Week 3-hip, Week 4-hip, knee, Week 5-hip, (Week 6-bye), Week 7: None, Week 8: knee, and he has either missed or been limited during the week of practices.
And add in that two offensive line starters have missed significant time (RT Trent Brown-calf, COVID-19--he's back now), G Richie Incognito (Achilles-IR), and you have Jacobs not looking good (3.4 ypc).
Saints: We have another game that could be impacted by wind and both teams are dealing with injury and other issues on offense.
The Saints will be without UDFA WR Marquez Callaway (ankle-out), who I wrote about in this space this week. He led the team in pass targets (10) while filling in for veteran WR Emmanuel Sanders (reserve/COVID-19). I'm told Callaway's injury is minor and he should be available for next week's game at the Buccaneers.
KR/PR Deonte Harris, who got in a decent amount of practice reps at WR in training camp, wow observers with several spectacular catches.
Harris, who scored last week against the Panthers, should see more than the 29% playing time on offense that he saw last week considering Sanders and WR Michael Thomas (high ankle, hamstring) are out again.
Seahawks: The Seahawks, as of Friday, I'm told, did not think RBs Chris Carson (mid-foot sprain-questionable) and Carlos Hyde (hamstring-doubtful) would be able to play, but neither is out yet. The team surprisingly does not have another RB on their practice squad, so they're doing all they can to have at least two available today.
Carson and Hyde did not practice this week and 2nd-year RB Travis Homer (knee-questionable) just saw light work on Friday. Rookie RB DeeJay Dallas (forearm) will play and saw a decent amount of time with the starters this week due to the injury issues of the other 3 players. The feeling over the last 48 hours that Homer would be able to go.
Titans: CB Adoree' Jackson surprisingly was not activated by Saturday's 4p ET deadline to play this week, so they'll line up what some around the NFL is the slowest group of CBs on the outside.
The wind, while still a concern (19-20 mph), isn't looking as bad as once forecasted (25 mph+ a few days ago).
Good news for Jonnu Smith owners as he's not listed on the injury report this week. WR A.J. Brown (knee) will play, but may have his practice time lessened each week until he's over his lingering issue which goes back to training camp.
Vikings: While the wind is likely going to be a factor (22-24 mph for the 3 hours from start to finish), the Vikings, once again, have major concerns at CB.
Two starters are out: Holton Hill (foot) and Mike Hughes (neck). They'll use two rookies in their place: first-round pick Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler, who just came off the reserve/COVID-19 list late this week. Dantzler has good size, but does not run well. Both started against the Falcons at home two weeks ago and gave up good production.
What also hurts the Viking D is the lack of pass rushers. They just traded DE Yannick Ngakoue and have no consistent pass rushers left in their front-7 (top guys are on IR).
