NFL Scores Week 6: Results and Top Fantasy Football Stars for Sunday Games

With many top-notch fantasy studs out of commission on Sunday due to injuries or bye weeks, several lesser-known players took advantage and posted big numbers for the starting lineups of risk-taking owners. That said, Week 6 proved once again why fantasy football can be such a fickle beast.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mohamed Sanu caught 11 passes for 120 yards and a score in the absence of A.J. Green. Without Calvin Johnson or Reggie Bush in action, Detroit Lions running back Theo Riddick produced a nice game, accumulating five receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown. Wideout Louis Murphy came away with seven catches for 72 yards and a score as well for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. These are just three examples of several interesting stat lines produced by rather unfamiliar names in Week 6.

While those players weren't exactly expected to light it up in such an incendiary manner, other big performances came from some of the usual suspects. Here's a look at how each team fared Sunday along with a notable fantasy performer for each contest.

Home	Score	Away	Notable Fantasy Performer
Bills	22-37	Patriots	Brandon LaFell (4 rec., 97 yds., 2 TD)
Buccaneers	17-48	Ravens	Joe Flacco (21/39, 306 yds., 5 TD)
Browns	31-10	Steelers	Ben Tate (78 yds., 2 TD)
Jets	17-31	Broncos	Julius Thomas (4 rec., 51 yds., 2 TD)
Vikings	3-17	Lions	Lions D/ST (3 pts. allowed, 3 INT, 8 sacks)
Dolphins	24-27	Packers	Jordy Nelson (9 rec., 107 yds., TD)
Titans	16-14	Jaguars	Blake Bortles (32/46, 336 yds., TD, INT, 38 rush yds.)
Bengals	37-37	Panthers	Giovani Bernard (137 rush yds., 4 rec., 20 rec. yds., TD)
Raiders	28-31	Chargers	Philip Rivers (22/34, 313 yds., 3 TD)
Falcons	13-27	Bears	Matt Forte (80 rush yds., 10 rec., 77 rec. yds., 2 TD)
Seahawks	23-30	Cowboys	DeMarco Murray (115 rush yds., 6 rec., 31 rec. yds., TD)
Cardinals	30-20	Redskins	DeSean Jackson (3 rec., 115 yds., TD)
Eagles	27-0	Giants	LeSean McCoy (149 rush yds)

Quarterback

Cam Newton

AJ Mast/Associated Press

Who said Newton doesn't run anymore? Without any kind of viable options out of the backfield, Newton took matters into his own hands against the Bengals, rushing 17 times for 107 yards and a touchdown.

Those are impressive fantasy numbers, but let's not forget he's actually a quarterback. Aside from his prowess on the ground, Newton also completed 29 of 46 passing attempts for 284 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com noted the rare feat Newton accomplished:

It's clear Newton will be Carolina's offensive catalyst for the remainder of the season. His playmaking ability makes him a dangerous weapon for the team and his fantasy owners. Consider him a top-tier QB1 and start him with confidence.

Running Back

Giovani Bernard

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

While Newton torched the Bengals, Bernard did the same to the Carolina Panthers. In his second season, Bernard has already proved to be one of the most elusive running backs in the league. He gave his team the early lead after ripping off an 89-yard touchdown.

SportsCenter tweeted the end result of that long run:

Bernard finished the game with 18 carries for 137 yards—an average of 7.6 yards per rush—and a touchdown while adding four receptions for 20 yards. Not only can this ball-carrier rip off big chunks of yards at a time, but he has a nose for the end zone as well, scoring four times in five games.

Considering his ability to act as a receiver out of the backfield, Bernard's well-rounded skill set makes him extremely valuable in all fantasy formats. He's solidified himself as a top-notch RB1 and should remain in starting lineups each and every week.

Wide Receiver

Brandon LaFell

Gary Wiepert/Associated Press

Tom Brady suddenly looks like his old self under center, tossing four more touchdown passes Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. The main beneficiary of the quarterback's success was LaFell.

This duo is really starting to establish some chemistry. Brady and LaFell hooked up in a multitude of ways, scoring from within the red zone and also on a 56-yard bomb. The wideout finished with four catches for 97 yards and two scores.

SportsCenter tweeted its enthusiastic reaction following the longer score:

LaFell is still available in some fantasy leagues. He should be considered a priority waiver-wire pickup, and based on this performance, he should also provide value as a bye-week replacement and flex starter.

Tight End

Julius Thomas

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

After a slow start against the New York Jets, Peyton Manning began to light up the opposing secondary. Thomas may have been the biggest beneficiary, reeling in four catches for 51 yards and two touchdowns.

Over the past two seasons, Thomas has solidified himself as one of the premier tight ends in the NFL. He's an absolute monster in the red zone, and Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times tweeted exactly how impressive his numbers have been through five games:

As long as Manning is at the helm and Thomas is healthy, he should be considered a high-end TE1 and remain in his owners' lineups at all times.

Defense

Detroit Lions D/ST

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

After the vicious display Detroit's pass rush put on against the Minnesota Vikings, it's almost hard not to feel bad for rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. He was under constant duress from the onset of the contest, resulting in 12 quarterback hits, eight sacks and three interceptions.

Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated tweeted his exaggerated take regarding the beating the signal-caller was taking:

The Lions defense has emerged as one of the league's best this season. While defenses remain matchup-based plays each week, Detroit continues to be one of the best available options.

Kicker

Stephen Gostkowski

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

Gostkowski continues to be one of the more productive fantasy kickers in 2014. He made three of his four field-goal attempts on Sunday, missing once from 36 yards but connecting from 42, 53 and 40 yards out.

He added four extra points to pad his numbers.

Kickers are often going to fluctuate in their fantasy production, but considering Gostkowski's long run of success and the momentum New England's offense is carrying, he's no doubt a top-end option at the position.