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The Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns open Week 7 on Thursday Night Football at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland. Kickoff is set for 8:20 p.m. ET on FOX. Rain and wind are in the forecast for the game, although both could slow down a bit after an uglier afternoon.
Weather needs to be extreme to truly impact games, but when deciding between two players who you like equally, it might be a helpful tie breaker. What we really don’t want to see is 20 mph or higher wind speeds. Rain can cause problems, but unless it is a combination of high winds and rain, we usually don’t want to downgrade our fantasy football players too much.
Helpful weather resources include National Weather Service and DarkSky, among others.
Weather for Broncos vs. Browns on Week 7 TNF
Forecast
The high on Thursday will be around 67 and the low will be around 51. Rain is expected in the afternoon, but the chance of showers should diminish by kickoff. Most significantly is the wind in the forecast. The NWS is reporting Thursday night could see breezy wind out of the west at 16-25 mph but that gusts could get up to 39 mph.
5 p.m. game day update: The rain is letting up, but the NWS forecast still calls for some significant wind gusts.
The rain has let up and the tarp is coming off the field here in Cleveland.
— Aric DiLalla (@AricDiLalla) October 21, 2021
A little more than three hours from kickoff. pic.twitter.com/r3TKo8KJqa
Fantasy/betting implications
Rain is never ideal, but it’s not a dealbreaker for making fantasy or betting decisions. The bigger issue is the wind. If the gusts don’t get too high, it won’t be a big problem. But if the gusts do get up north of 30 mph, you’ll be looking at a lower scoring game. The point total is 41 as of this article publishing, with the over priced up to -115. This is already factoring in weather, so there’s no edge to be found on that front.
The bigger issue in this game is at the skill positions. Broncos QB Teddy Bridgewater and Browns WR Odell Beckham Jr. are both questionable while Browns QB Baker Mayfield and RBs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are all out for the game. Case Keenum is getting the start which downgrades all the pass catchers. D’Ernest Johnson is expected to start at running back for Cleveland with Demetric Felton likely getting some work. Injuries downgrading this game are a bigger issue than the weather.