Week 6 Fantasy Football Projections: Predicting the Top Scorer at Every Position

In the NFL, different stars and heroes emerge on a weekly basis. The same can be said for fantasy football, as the leading fantasy players differ every week.

There are some consistent performers who you can count on to put up numbers no matter what, but it isn't possible for them to pace their position week in and week out.

While talent is an obvious consideration, huge fantasy performances are often due to favorable matchups or in-game situations, like garbage time to pad the stats of quarterbacks or receivers. Because of that we can only speculate on who this week's fantasy leaders will be.

Here are my picks for the top fantasy player at each position in Week 6.

QB: Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

While quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Drew Brees normally pace the position in fantasy points, I think the Dallas Cowboys' Tony Romo has a legitimate shot to do so in Week 6.

He hasn't been at his best this season, but considering his rib and lung injuries and injuries to his skill players, he has made due quite well.

Romo has nearly 1,300 yards and seven touchdowns through four games, and I expect him to have his best game of the season by far on Sunday. The main reason for that is the fact that the Cowboys are taking on the New England Patriots, and no team has given up more passing yards than New England.

The Patriots will score their points, and since Dallas' running game is virtually non-existent anyway, I think Romo and Brady will engage in an aerial shootout. Romo will have his full allotment of weapons with Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten as well, so the sky is the limit.

Projection: 360 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception 

RB: Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons

Despite the fact that the Atlanta Falcons have been married to the passing game this season, running back Michael Turner has been quite impressive. He has 360 yards and four touchdowns on only 84 carries and would likely put up big numbers with a bigger workload.

Seeing as the Falcons are 2-3, I suspect that they'll look to make some adjustments in the coming weeks. One of those adjustments should be to feed the Turner the ball with much more regularity. Atlanta has made the playoffs in two of the past three seasons, and Turner was a huge reason for that.

Turner will also have an excellent matchup against the Carolina Panthers, who are one of the league's worst teams against the run. Atlanta will certainly want to keep the ball out of Cam Newton's hands, and developing a strong ground game will contribute to that. I would be very surprised if Turner didn't get close to 30 touches in this one.

Projection: 150 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns

WR: Victor Cruz, New York Giants

I'm admittedly going a bit off the board here, but I think the New York Giants' slot receiver, Victor Cruz, is in for a monster game in Week 6. Not only has quarterback Eli Manning really locked in on him over the past few weeks, but Cruz has a slot receiver's dream matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

The Bills have been excellent as a team this season, but the defense absolutely hemorrhages yardage through the air and on the ground. Buffalo has particularly struggled to slow down slot receivers. New England's Wes Welker torched the Bills for 16 catches and 217 yards a few weeks ago and Philadelphia's Jason Avant caught nine balls for a 139 yards last week.

Cruz is no Welker, but I find him to be far more talented than Avant. The Bills are short on quality corners due to injuries, and Avant was able to burn nickel back Reggie Corner all day long. Corner will likely draw that duty again this weekend, and with much focus being put on Hakeem Nicks, Cruz should have a sneaky big day.

Projection: 8 catches, 140 yards and one touchdown

TE: Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys

With the San Diego Chargers' Antonio Gates hampered by a foot injury, there seems to be a new tight end star every week. In Week 6 I think that Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten will shine brightest, and one of the biggest reasons is that he is facing the New England Patriots' secondary.

Since already said that Tony Romo would be the league's best fantasy quarterback this week, it stands to reason that one of his pass catchers would go off as well. The Patriots don't seem to have anybody capable of covering somebody as big and skilled as Witten. They may try to use safety Patrick Chung, but there is a huge size disadvantage.

I also see Witten having a big week because of his reliability. Both Miles Austin and Dez Bryant are still recovering from early-season injuries, but Witten is as durable as they come. I think Romo will trust Witten in big situations, especially in the red zone, and that should lead to some great numbers.

Projection: 7 catches, 125 yards, 2 touchdowns

K: Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland Raiders

I might be better off picking a name out of a hat when trying to predict the highest-scoring kicker this week, but instead I'll go with the kicker who has the most scoring potential. The Oakland Raiders' Sebastian Janikowski has the league's biggest legs and hits 50-yard field goals like they're chip shots.

Many leagues award more points for 50-yarders, making Janikowski far more valuable than any other kicker. The Raiders face the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, and for whatever reason, I can certainly see that being a battle of field goals.

The Browns are a bit of an underrated team and might be able to keep Oakland out of the endzone and stall some of its drives. Because of that, Janikowski should get plenty of three-point opportunities. A bunch of extra points does nothing for your fantasy team, so it's best to identify a kicker who gets field goal attempts, and Janikowski certainly does.

Projection: 3/3 field goals (one 50-plus yarder) and 2 extra points

DEF/ST: Pittsburgh Steelers

After being decimated by the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1, there were plenty of questions surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense. It was said that they were too old, too slow and that their time had passed. Since that game, however, the defense has settled in nicely and turned in plenty of good performances.

The Steelers have a very easy matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars this weekend and should be able to feast on rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert should they get adequate pressure on him. Provided Pittsburgh can hold running back Maurice Jones-Drew in check, the Jags really don't have any other weapons.

It's very difficult to see the Steelers giving up more than 17 points in this game, and I think they'll be able to force some turnovers as well. Predicting defensive stats is somewhat pointless, but they're a good defense with a great matchup, so that's enough for me.

Projection: 13 points allowed, 2 interceptions, 4 sacks, 1 defensive touchdown