If he plays, Marcus Mariota could be dealing with winds. Andy Lyons/Getty Images
I apologize for the late post here but uncertainties with the path of Hurricane Florence after landfall necessitated that I wait so I could give the most accurate information. Originally, I thought Florence wouldn’t really impact any games on Sunday but that has changed a bit now. While nothing looks extreme there are some things worth noting. So lets get to it.
Texans @ Titans (Sunday 12:00 PM) – I had this game up in the air as Nashville will be on the outer fringes of Florence on Sunday. Right now it looks like any rain should hold off until after the game but wind may be an issue. Currently the forecast is for Northeast winds at 15 MPH with gusts over 20 MPH. The orientation of the stadium would have the wind blowing diagonally across the field. With Florence continuing to move inland I wouldn’t rule out some stronger wind gusts during the game. It shouldn’t have a tremendous affect on the quarterbacks save for some very deep throws, but kickers could be impacted.
QB: ↓
RB: ↔
WR/TE: ↔
DEF: ↔
K: ↓↓
Colts @ Redskins (Sunday 12:00 PM) – By Sunday Washington will be on the outer northern fringes of Florence. It appears that there could be some showers passing through during the game but it shouldn’t be a deluge. Winds also look to stay under 10 mph which should be manageable for kickers. Overall not much impact on this game, but I wanted to mention it as some people were concerned about this game. I’ll spare the page length and just tell you I would give neutral impacts to all position groups.
Eagles @ Buccaneers (Sunday 12:00 PM) – The story here will be heat with a potential side of some lightning. This will be a typical Florida summer afternoon – hot and suffocatingly humid. The heat index will be hovering around 103 degrees during the game. Conditions like this negatively affect the defense more than any other position group. Later in the game though the possibility exists for some thunderstorms to pop up. The prospect of rain from these storms isn’t terribly concerning but there may be some issues with lightning as we saw last week in the Titans-Dolphins game. From a fantasy standpoint the effects of a delay are minimal, but from a gambling perspective it could be a bit more significant as a delay has the potential to shift momentum. Winds throughout the game will be out of the southwest at about 9 MPH which shouldn’t be an issue for kickers.
QB: ↔
RB: ↔
WR/TE: ↔
DEF: ↓
K: ↔
Patriots @ Jaguars (Sunday 3:25 PM) – Some showers and thunderstorms may be possible wrapping around the southern edge of Florence. While any rain shouldn’t be too extreme, given that this is Florida the potential for lightning exists in any storms that do come through. So don’t be surprised if this game goes into a delay at some point. Again, maybe a bigger deal for gambling than fantasy. Aside from the possibility of a few thunderstorms the main issue here, as in Tampa, will be the heat and humidity as the heat index will be around 103 degrees. Overall I would give a slight bump down to defenses with this heat, but the Jags are more acclimated to these conditions than the Patriots. I really think the heat will have more of an effect on the Patriots, especially given the ground and pound nature of Jacksonville’s offense. Winds will be around 10 MPH which shouldn’t be an issue for kickers.
QB: ↔
RB: ↔
WR/TE: ↔
DEF: ↓ (NE DEF:↓↓)
K: ↔
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The Astros open a three-game set Tuesday night against the struggling Chicago White Sox, looking to put together a solid homestand and maintain their lead atop the AL West.
Houston enters the series at 36-29, including a 22-12 mark at Daikin Park, where they've consistently found ways to win behind timely hitting and quality pitching. They'll send Lance McCullers (1-1, 4.44 ERA) to the mound, hoping he can keep the momentum going against a White Sox team that has labored all year, particularly on the road.
Chicago comes in at 22-44 overall and just 6-26 away from home, though starter Shane Smith (2-3, 2.45 ERA) has been a bright spot in an otherwise dim season. He’ll be tasked with trying to quiet a Houston lineup that’s been inconsistent of late but remains dangerous when it clicks — the Astros are 20-3 in games where they score five or more runs.
Jeremy Peña continues to lead the way at the plate, hitting .316 with nine homers and 32 RBIs, while Jake Meyers is coming off a four-hit game on Sunday and is 11-for-35 over the past 10 games. If those two stay hot, Houston could have an edge against the young right-hander.
The White Sox have gotten recent production from Chase Meidroth and Miguel Vargas, but overall remain one of the most inconsistent offenses in the league. Like Houston, they tend to win when they hit — they’re 14-3 in games where they’ve scored at least five runs — but those games have been few and far between.
Both teams have shown flashes in recent days. Over their last 10 games, the Astros are 6-4 but have been outscored overall, while the White Sox are 4-6 despite a slightly better run differential. With Houston favored at -195 and an over/under of 8, the pressure will be on McCullers to set the tone early — and on the bats to back him up.
The teams will meet for the fourth time this season Tuesday night, with first pitch set for 8:10 p.m. ET.
*ChatGPT assisted.
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