At this point in the season, desperation has set in and we are willing to pick up any random no-name player, if anything, just to fill a roster spot on our fantasy football teams. I’m here to tell you, although sometimes we really are hamstrung by the waiver wire, weather should not be ignored as a contributing factor to potential player success. I’m talking about a fantasy football waiver wire strategy that focuses on players on teams that play in domes! Whether (lol) we are in the dead heat of summer in Arizona or the snowiest, coldest winter in Minnesota, a dome can really change the playing field (I’m sorry it’s just too easy).
Teams with fixed dome stadiums include the Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, and the Minnesota Vikings. There are also four more teams with retractable roofs, so come inclement weather, players on these teams also make a lot of sense as fantasy football adds: the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, and Arizona Cardinals.
So, what does this mean? Well on a weekly basis you can stream players from teams playing in a dome that week, especially as we head into late November and December where snow can be a factor. I stood out in 20-degree weather at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Christmas night in 2017, watching the Eagles and Oakland Raiders struggle to move the ball more than a few yards. I could barely take my hand out of my coat to eat crab fries, I can’t imagine what it felt like to throw a football or worse, get hit, so if you had any player from those two teams that fateful night, you were none too thrilled (the Eagles won at least, and ya know, went on to win the Super Bowl). If you need further proof, before they moved to LA in 2016, the St. Louis Rams played in a dome stadium, and my memory of the Rams at their best was the Greatest Show on Turf (Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, orchestrated by Mike Martz) – man could they really fly around and put up points (if only I played fantasy football back in 99). It’s truly such a luxury to have players that can escape the uncertainty of mother nature’s rule.
Looking at the remaining games for Week 12, the dome stadium approach could potentially lead you to the following players:
Falcons RB Qadree Ollison: Playing in the safety of the Saint’s Superdome, this backup RB scooped the more popular add last week, Brian Hill, for a TD.
Buccaneers WR Scott Miller: The Buccaneers offense oscillates between dynamic and dead, but Scott Miller has become a factor (still behind Evans and Godwin) but has some upside during these desperate times and I love the dome matchup.
Buccaneers TE Cameron Brate: I’ve had him, I’ve dropped him. He floats around the waiver every few weeks, but injuries and bye weeks have made him a play, and, in many leagues, he is still available.
Atlanta Falcons Defense: If you need to stream a defense at this point in the season, you can ride the Falcons hot hand in the comfort of their home dome stadium.
Keep this strategy in mind as we come down to the (waiver) wire! Take a quick glance at the schedule and the weather and make your best move possible because every point counts during the fantasy football homestretch. Don’t forget to read up on other week 11 notes to stay ahead of the game!
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