Week 6 Fantasy Football: Adrian Peterson, Tony Romo and 5 Fantasy Locks

As important as it is to have a well-rounded fantasy football lineup, games are ultimately won and lost based upon the performances of your stud players. If your big guns don't live up to or exceed their projections, then the odds of picking up a win are slim.

While a few highly-touted players have busted to this point in the season, most high picks, like Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, have been as good or better than advertised.

With that said, here are five big-name players that are locks to put up huge fantasy numbers due to great matchups and their overall awesomeness. 

Cam Newton: QB, Carolina Panthers

There was no denying that the had all the physical tools, but most were skeptical of whether Cam Newton could adapt to the NFL. The Carolina Panthers' rookie quarterback has proven all of his detractors wrong, though, as he looks to already be one of the league's best signal callers.

The Panthers' offense begins and ends with Newton as he has been excellent through the air as well as on the ground. Through five games, Newton has over 1,600 passing yards and seven touchdowns, and he has added five rushing scores as well, making him one of the league's most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks.

Newton has an excellent matchup on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons' secondary has performed terribly this season and has been passed on more than any team other than the New England Patriots. The Panthers have relied almost solely on the passing game this season, so Newton will throw the ball plenty—and he will excel in the process.

Darren McFadden: RB, Oakland Raiders

Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden has been hobbled a bit this season with a groin injury, but he has still managed to turn in some incredible performances. McFadden has admittedly been a bit boom or bust this season, but he is due for a big game on Sunday.

McFadden has two games with 150 or more rushing yards and three with 75 or less. He struggled to run on the Houston Texans last week, but the Cleveland Browns shouldn't offer up too much resistance in Week 6. Even with a few average weeks, though, McFadden still leads the league with 519 rushing yards.

The Raiders have passed a bit more than usual over the past couple weeks, as they were playing the majority of those games from behind, but I would expect Oakland to jump on the Browns early. Provided the Raiders can win comfortably, I think McFadden should get tons of yardage during garbage time.

Tom Brady: QB, New England Patriots

Call me "Captain Obvious" if you'd like, but you can never go wrong having New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in your lineup. Not only has Brady thrown for over 300 yards in four of his five games this season, but he has also thrown for multiple touchdowns in four games.

The Dallas Cowboys are in the middle of the pack against the pass, but they lead the league in run defense. Because of that, BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Stevan Ridley likely won't have the type of success that they had in recent weeks. With that in mind, Brady is poised for another 40-plus passing attempt game, and that bodes well for his fantasy numbers.

This game could very well be a shootout, so I wouldn't be surprised to see Brady go well over 300 yards with three or four touchdowns to boot. If you have Brady on your team, then you probably have a pretty good record already, but it's likely to improve when this week is said and done.

Tony Romo: QB, Dallas Cowboys

The usual controversy has surrounded Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo this season. From blown fourth quarter leads to cracked ribs and a punctured lung, Romo has been all over the news, mostly for negative reasons.

Despite that, Romo has put up solid fantasy numbers this season and is in line for a big game this weekend. Through four games, Romo has thrown for 1,273 and seven touchdowns. He has also been without his No. 1 wide receiver Miles Austin for two games and No. 2 receiver Dez Bryant has been hampered by a thigh injury.

When you take all of those factors into consideration, Romo has actually been spectacular thus far. He has a very enviable date this weekend against the New England Patriots' porous secondary. No team has allowed more passing yards than the Patriots, and Romo is sure to have a field day. The Pats will certainly score their points, so I expect Romo to lead an aerial assault in hopes of matching them.

Adrian Peterson: RB, Minnesota Vikings

Perhaps the most consistent player in fantasy football over the past few seasons, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is off to another fantastic start. Despite the Vikings' 1-4 record, Peterson has been superb with 498 yards and six touchdowns through five games.

The Vikings got into trouble in the first few games of the season by relying too heavily on Donovan McNabb and the passing game. It seems as though they finally came to the realization that Peterson gives them the best chance to win, and they exercised that belief effectively against the Arizona Cardinals.

Peterson will have a dream matchup on Sunday night against what looks to be an awful Chicago Bears defense. While defense has been Chicago's strength since 1985, you have to call a spade a spade, as the Bears rank 27th in pass defense and 28th in rush defense.

The Bears were torched by Detroit's Jahvid Best last Monday, and Peterson is a far more complete runner than he is. I look for the Vikings to feed the insatiable Peterson with at least 30 touches, and the results are sure to be excellent.