Fantasy Football Week 7: Fact or Fiction on Week 6's Top Superstars

It is time for another edition of "Overreaction Monday" in the fantasy football world. 

The never-ending quest for world domination via the crazy scoring techniques used in this magical game always has players scrambling to figure out what happened on Sunday, how smart they were to start the struggling running back, and what needs to happen next week to get you back on top. 

This struggle to find balance in the world of fantasy football is, ironically, a lot like finding it in the NFL. It is very, very hard to do, because what you think you know one week is going to completely change the next.

As we get ready to put a ribbon on Week 6 and look ahead to Week 7, here are the performances from this week that caused us to stop and examine how we feel about a player moving forward. 

We are going to play Fact or Fiction with the top stars from Week 6 of the fantasy football season looking ahead to next week. 

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Shonn Greene, RB, New York Jets

Week 6 Stats

32 carries, 161 yards, 3 TD

Fact or Fiction?

It only took about three years after his breakout performance in the playoffs in 2010 for Greene to show why the Jets made him the starting running back, but he was unquestionably the best running back in the NFL on Sunday. 

However, we should not be so quick to buy into this electric outing. For starters, Greene had not run for more than 40 yards in the previous four games, and it is the first time he has scored a touchdown in a game since Week 1. 

Plus, Greene did it against the Indianapolis Colts, who always have one of the softest run defenses in the NFL. 

Don't be fooled by false prophets, as Greene's huge week probably had more to do with the Colts' issues up front than a breakthrough in the way he runs. 

Robert Griffin III, QB, Washington Redskins

Week 6 Stats

17-of-22, 182 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 13 carries, 138 yards, 2 TD

Fact or Fiction?

If this is the kind of performance Griffin has after suffering a mild concussion, just imagine how much better he will get when he has all his wits about him. 

All kidding aside, this week's game against the Vikings is the one that sold me on Griffin as a sure-fire starter every week the rest of this season, at least as long as he is healthy. I am late to the party on this one, but I always play cautiously with rookies, especially quarterbacks. 

Another reason I was skeptical is some of the defenses Griffin has been performing against. New Orleans, Cincinnati, Tampa Bay and Atlanta, even though he was knocked out early in that game, all rank 15th or lower in the league in yards allowed. 

Minnesota, however, has proven itself to be one of the most physical, attacking defensive units in the NFL this season. 

For Griffin to put up the numbers he did against Jared Allen and co. speaks to how comfortable he is in the NFL after just six weeks. 

Josh Freeman, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 6 Stats

15-of-26, 328 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

Fact or Fiction?

Freeman has a great two-game stretch for fantasy owners to take advantage of. Step one was a success, as Freeman had his best game of the season against Kansas City. 

Before Week 6, Freeman looked adrift, as he so often does. He had a few good yardage games, but was still turning the ball over at the same rate he was throwing touchdowns. 

This week, Freeman was on point with all his passes, taking chances down the field that paid off and finding the end zone with regularity. 

If you are in a quarterback bind in Week 7, there is nothing wrong with giving Freeman one more look. He goes up against a New Orleans defense that couldn't stop me if I was taking snaps from the center. 

Sam Bradford, QB, St. Louis Rams

Week 6 Stats

26-of-39, 315 yards; 4 carries, 34 yards, 1 TD

Fact or Fiction?

Of course Bradford had his best fantasy game of the season without Danny Amendola, because that's just how things work in the NFL. 

But moving forward, there is nothing on Bradford's resume that suggests he will be able to keep this momentum going. 

Using standard scoring, Bradford has been unable to crack double digits twice and been held to 11 points twice. His offensive line is still problematic, even with Amendola, he has never shown any level of consistency and a lot of his points can be tied to his performance on the ground. 

Given that the Rams host a Packers team that just destroyed Houston on Sunday night, this is a clear trap game for Bradford owners. Don't buy into it. 

Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys

Week 6 Stats

13 receptions, 95 yards, 2 TD

Fact or Fiction?

Bryant's recent upward trend could be a sign of maturity on and off the field, or just another way for the incredibly talented but often-troubled receiver to tease the Cowboys and fantasy owners everywhere. 

As we talked about with Josh Freeman earlier, the matchups certainly favor Bryant in Week 7. The Cowboys travel to Charlotte to take on a Carolina Panthers defense that doesn't have a pulse on defense. 

The only problem with Bryant right now is that he is acting more like a possession receiver than a threat on the outside, as evidenced by his weak 10.7 yards per catch average. But beggars can't be choosers, and Bryant is in a good position to succeed next week. 

Vincent Jackson, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 6 Stats

4 receptions, 66 yards, 2 TD

Fact or Fiction?

Jackson is at the mercy of Josh Freeman, which explains why he has been so inconsistent this season. Sunday's game was the third time this year that he has posted double-digit fantasy points, but his other two games have been disasters. 

You do have to tread cautiously when starting a receiver with a quarterback who is just as likely to throw four interceptions as he is four touchdowns, yet you have to love any offense going up against the Saints until they prove capable of stopping someone. 

It is impossible to endorse Jackson as a starter every week, nor should we try. Looking at things on a week-to-week basis, he looks very good in Week 7. 

Jets D/ST

Week 6 Stats

2 INT, 2 Fumbles Recovered, 9 Points Allowed

Fact or Fiction?

Given the way that everyone talks about the Jets, you would think they hadn't won a game and looked like the worst team in the NFL. 

Yet here we are. The defense looked like it did when this team was going to AFC championship games against a Colts offense that has looked impressive at times this season. 

Even without Darrelle Revis, the Jets still don't allow touchdowns through the air. They do struggle on the line and up the middle, so teams can run on them. 

They play the Patriots this week, but given the way Bill Belichick mismanaged the game against Seattle, would anyone be surprised to see Rex Ryan pull a rabbit out of his hat again?

Perhaps I am overrating one performance against a bad Indianapolis team, but I like what the Jets did in Week 6 enough to start them in Week 7. 

Felix Jones, RB, Dallas Cowboys

Week 6 Stats

18 carries, 92 yards, 1 TD

Fact or Fiction?

Jones is an interesting case, because he is never going to touch the ball unless DeMarco Murray is out. Yet when he does get in to the game plan, he tends to make things happen. 

While he hasn't been a factor in the running game prior to Week 6, Jones was doing good things in the passing game. He had six catches for 68 yards across two games in Weeks 2 and 3. 

When Murray went down with an ankle injury in Week 6, Jones stepped up and had his best game since last December against Tampa Bay. 

You have to monitor the status of Murray throughout the week, but if Jones is going to get 12-15 carries against a porous Carolina run defense, definitely put him in the lineup.