Week 6 Fantasy Football Projections: Stat Predictions for Top 100 Players

With almost one-third of the NFL season already behind us, we are finally starting to get a better idea of which players to trust and which to avoid for fantasy football.

Of course, you still don't want to give up on those who were taken early in drafts. Assuming they are still healthy and have the same role they had earlier in the year, it's too soon to give up on top talents around the league.

This includes players such as Todd Gurley or DeAndre Hopkins, two players who are still capable of exploding any day now.

Combining the hope for better days along with what we know to this point creates the latest rankings for Week 6.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Tom Brady	Patriots	CIN	24
2	Cam Newton	Panthers	at NO	22
3	Ben Roethlisberger	Steelers	at MIA	22
4	Aaron Rodgers	Packers	DAL	21
5	Drew Brees	Saints	CAR	20
6	Andrew Luck	Colts	at HOU	20
7	Derek Carr	Raiders	KC	19
8	Russell Wilson	Seahawks	ATL	19
9	Matt Ryan	Falcons	at SEA	19
10	Marcus Mariota	Titans	CLE	18

While it was against the Cleveland Browns, Tom Brady looked as good as ever in his first game back from suspension. The All-Pro passer threw for 406 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, showing that he is once again one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

The scary part was Brady's self-assessment after the game.

"I think there was plenty of rust out there. I can do better in a lot of areas," the quarterback said Sunday, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk.

The Cincinnati Bengals are a major step up in competition, but Brady should be able to keep up his high numbers throughout the year.

Andrew Luck and Matt Ryan also have tough matchups in Week 6, although their consistency to this point of the year makes them worth keeping in your lineup.

If you are looking for a potential streaming option or a fill-in, Marcus Mariota showed his upside in Week 5 with three passing touchdowns and a rushing score. He now gets a chance to rack up his numbers even more against a terrible Browns defense.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	David Johnson	Cardinals	NYJ	18
2	Le'Veon Bell	Steelers	at MIA	17
3	Ezekiel Elliott	Cowboys	at GB	17
4	DeMarco Murray	Titans	CLE	15
5	LeSean McCoy	Bills	SF	14
6	Jordan Howard	Bears	JAX	14
7	Lamar Miller	Texans	IND	13
8	Todd Gurley	Rams	at DET	13
9	Christine Michael	Seahawks	ATL	13
10	C.J. Anderson	Broncos	at SD	12
11	Devonta Freeman	Falcons	at SEA	12
12	Melvin Gordon	Chargers	DEN	12
13	Carlos Hyde	49ers	at BUF	12
14	Frank Gore	Colts	at HOU	12
15	Matt Forte	Jets	at ARI	12
16	Theo Riddick	Lions	LA	11
17	Terrance West	Ravens	at NYG	11
18	LeGarrette Blount	Patriots	CIN	11
19	Spencer Ware	Chiefs	at OAK	10
20	Jamaal Charles	Chiefs	at OAK	10
21	Eddie Lacy	Packers	DAL	10
22	Tevin Coleman	Falcons	at SEA	10
23	Mark Ingram	Saints	CAR	10
24	T.J. Yeldon	Jaguars	at CHI	9
25	Cameron Artis-Payne	Panthers	at NO	9
26	Ryan Mathews	Eagles	at WAS	9
27	Matt Jones	Redskins	PHI	8
28	Giovani Bernard	Bengals	at NE	8
29	Jay Ajayi	Dolphins	PIT	8
30	Jalen Richard	Raiders	KC	8

We might have expected the first few names on the board coming into the season, but players such as DeMarco Murray and LeSean McCoy have made it clear they still have talent, while younger stars like Melvin Gordon and Jordan Howard have proved they can get it done at this level.

While Howard has shot up the rankings quickly after earning the starting job for the first time last week, Scott Barrett of Pro Football Focus notes how well he has played:

With a full workload in the Chicago Bears' offense, Howard has a chance to continue putting up big numbers as the season progresses.

Meanwhile, don't expect Murray to stop producing any time soon either. The schedule only gets easier for the former rushing champion, per JJ Zachariason of NumberFire:

Derrick Henry was supposed to take away touches this season, but Murray had 27 carries and five receptions in Week 5. He is clearly going to keep getting work in a run-heavy offense with some favorable matchups coming up.

Although there are more question marks about a player like T.J. Yeldon, he carried the ball 14 times before the team's Week 5 bye and now gets to face the Bears inconsistent defense. Continue to trust players who get the ball, which includes the second-year player out of Alabama.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Antonio Brown	Steelers	at MIA	13
2	Julio Jones	Falcons	at SEA	12
3	Odell Beckham Jr.	Giants	BAL	12
4	A.J. Green	Bengals	at NE	12
5	Jordy Nelson	Packers	DAL	11
6	Kelvin Benjamin	Panthers	at NO	11
7	T.Y. Hilton	Colts	at HOU	11
8	Larry Fitzgerald	Cardinals	NYJ	11
9	Allen Robinson	Jaguars	at CHI	11
10	Amari Cooper	Raiders	KC	11
11	DeAndre Hopkins	Texans	IND	10
12	Marvin Jones	Lions	LA	10
13	Alshon Jeffery	Bears	JAX	10
14	Brandon Marshall	Jets	at ARI	10
15	Demaryius Thomas	Broncos	at SD	10
16	Jeremy Maclin	Chiefs	at OAK	10
17	Emmanuel Sanders	Broncos	at SD	10
18	Brandin Cooks	Saints	CAR	9
19	Michael Crabtree	Raiders	KC	9
20	Will Fuller	Texans	IND	9
21	Julian Edelman	Patriots	CIN	9
22	Terrelle Pryor	Browns	at TEN	9
23	Doug Baldwin	Seahawks	ATL	9
24	Jordan Matthews	Eagles	at WAS	8
25	Travis Benjamin	Chargers	DEN	8
26	John Brown	Cardinals	NYJ	8
27	Cameron Meredith	Bears	JAX	8
28	Quincy Enunwa	Jets	at ARI	8
29	Randall Cobb	Packers	DAL	7
30	Robert Woods	Bills	SF	7

It's difficult to find consistency at the receiver position. Even the best in the league can follow up a dominant showing with a quiet one.

A.J. Green went from 173 receiving yards in Week 4 to 50 in Week 5. Julio Jones had an even bigger drop, from an incredible 300 yards two weeks ago to just 29 yards Sunday.

Those who have Hopkins are even more upset, like Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman:

Hopkins finished last game with 56 yards and a touchdown, although most of it came after the game was well in hand.

While you obviously want someone who will produce points every week, you also want to look at upside at the position. This is what makes Jones and Green such a threat, making them worth keeping in your lineup regardless of the matchup.

This high ceiling is also available for a player such as Will Fuller, who gets plenty of chances at deep balls with the speed necessary to put up big numbers on one play. Although he wasn't able to do anything against a tough Minnesota Vikings defense, it will be easier against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 6.

The same could be said about Alshon Jeffery, who hasn't quite broken out yet but could have his chance against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Rob Gronkowski	Patriots	CIN	13
2	Greg Olsen	Panthers	at NO	12
3	Jordan Reed	Redskins	PHI	12
4	Michael Bennett	Patriots	CIN	11
5	Jimmy Graham	Seahawks	ATL	10
6	Travis Kelce	Chiefs	at OAK	8
7	Delanie Walker	Titans	CLE	7
8	Zach Miller	Bears	JAX	6
9	Zach Ertz	Eagles	at WAS	6
10	Dennis Pitta	Ravens	at NYG	6

All of a sudden, this list looks close to what it did a couple of years ago.

Rob Gronkowski is back, thanks mostly to the return of Brady. Although Martellus Bennett scored three touchdowns for the Patriots in Week 5, Gronk still had by far his best game of the year with 109 receiving yards. Those who drafted him early are likely to finally see the big returns.

Jimmy Graham is also back from the dead, reaching 100 yards in back-to-back games before the Week 5 bye.

These two players have obvious talent, and now they each seem healthy and ready to dominate at the level they once did.

Although Zach Ertz didn't have a big return from his own injury with just three catches for 37 yards on Sunday, he still has the opportunity to be one of the top players at his position. He is worth keeping in your lineup for at least another week to see what he can do.

Defensive/Special Teams

Rank	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Denver Broncos	at SD	9
2	Buffalo Bills	SF	8
3	Arizona Cardinals	NYJ	8
4	Pittsburgh Steelers	at MIA	8
5	New England Patriots	CIN	8
6	Tennessee Titans	CLE	7
7	Philadelphia Eagles	at WAS	7
8	Detroit Lions	LA	7
9	Seattle Seahawks	ATL	7
10	Los Angeles Rams	at DET	7

As usual, defense in fantasy is as much about the opponent as the team you are picking.

While the Seattle Seahawks have one of the toughest defenses in the NFL, trusting them against the red-hot Atlanta Falcons isn't necessarily a wise choice.

On the other hand, you might want to play just about any defense against offenses like the Browns or Miami Dolphins this season. The Dolphins offensive line has struggled all year, allowing 17 sacks already in 2016, while Cleveland can't hold onto the football thanks to the endless parade of different quarterbacks under center.

The Buffalo Bills' defense has also been one of the best in the league in recent weeks and can have a huge showing against a struggling San Francisco 49ers offense that hasn't done much since Week 1.

Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

Kickers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Adam Vinatieri	Colts	at HOU	8
2	Stephen Gostkowski	Patriots	CIN	8
3	Justin Tucker	Ravens	at NYG	8
4	Sebastian Janikowski	Raiders	KC	8
5	Mason Crosby	Packers	DAL	8
6	Matt Bryant	Falcons	at SEA	7
7	Graham Gano	Panthers	at NO	7
8	Brandon McManus	Broncos	at SD	7
9	Chris Boswell	Steelers	at MIA	7
10	Chandler Catanzaro	Cardinals	NYJ	7

There are no real scientific ways to choose the best kickers available. There is some logic, but plenty of luck is involved when a player really goes off with a big day.

The best strategy is to simply grab players on high-powered offenses who will get plenty of opportunities for points, whether that is via field goals or extra points.

There is a bit of concern over Stephen Gostkowski after he missed a field goal Sunday for the second game in a row, but he is still a quality kicker playing for one of the best teams in all of football. He should be just fine in your lineup going forward.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter.