Week 7 Fantasy Football Projections: Predicting the Top Scorer at Every Position

There are very few players in football who are able to produce at a high level from a fantasy perspective on a weekly basis. When you have one or more of that type of player, though, you are well ahead of the game and likely have a very successful team.

While it tends to vary a bit, the elite players tend to lead or at least come close to leading their respective positions in scoring each week. That is why they get paid the big bucks in real life and why we spend our valuable fantasy picks on them in our little fantasy world.

Here are the players who will lead their respective positions in fantasy scoring this week. If you somehow managed to get all of these players on your fantasy team, which is actually possible, congratulations in advance on your Week 7 victory.

Matthew Stafford: QB, Detroit Lions

If the 5-1 Detroit Lions are the most surprising team in football, then Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford may very well be one of the league's most surprising players. Everyone knew that the former No. 1 overall pick had the tools to succeed in the NFL, but the question was whether he could remain healthy and stay on the field.

He has proven thus far that he can, and he has produced at an elite level. Through six games Stafford has an impressive 1,729 passing yards and 15 touchdowns as opposed to just four interceptions. One of the biggest reasons for his monster numbers is the fact that he has developed a fantastic rapport with his studly No.1 wide receiver, Calvin "Megatron" Johnson.

With running back Jahvid Best likely out with a concussion, the Lions will likely lean on the passing game even more than usual this weekend against the Atlanta Falcons. Luckily for Stafford the Falcons are a good team to pass on as they rank near the bottom of the league in pass defense. When you combine that with what looks to be a high volume of passes, Stafford should have a huge game.

Projection: 340 yards, three touchdowns, one interception

Michael Turner: RB, Atlanta Falcons

After being misused for a few weeks, Atlanta Falcons running back Michael Turner busted out against the Carolina Panthers last week with 139 yards and two touchdowns. The Falcons were very committed to the pass to start the season so Turner has just 111 carries so far, but he has made the most of them with 499 yards and six scores.

Pounding the rock with Turner helped the Falcons get back on track, so they figure to involve him heavily moving forward. That should be especially true on Sunday against the Detroit Lions. While the Lions have a pretty solid defense, one area in which they tend to struggle is in stopping the run.

Not only should Atlanta run the ball since Detroit has trouble stopping it, but it will also keep the ball out of the hands of Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. The Falcons have to know that their best chance to win this game is to hang onto the ball and limit the Detroit offense's opportunities, so I think Turner will get tons of touches.

Projection: 130 yards rushing, one catch for 10 yards, two touchdowns

Mike Wallace: WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

While I could have taken the boring approach and said that Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson was going to lead all wide receivers in scoring this week, everyone was already expecting that. To keep things fresh, I decided to go with a receiver who I like just as much as Johnson this week in the Pittsburgh Steelers' Mike Wallace.

Wallace and Johnson are very different receivers as Johnson using his immense size to overpower opposing defenders for the ball, while Wallace is a pure speed receiver who relies on burning his opponents down field. With a date against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, Wallace's speed should pay big dividends.

The Cardinals' defense has struggled across the board this season, but especially in the secondary where they lost cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the trade for quarterback Kevin Kolb. The Carolina Panthers' Steve Smith torched Arizona for 178 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1, and I could see Wallace doing something similar.

Projection: Five catches for 150 yards and two touchdowns

Jermichael Finley: TE, Green Bay Packers

Since destroying the Chicago Bears for seven catches, 85 yards and three touchdowns a few weeks ago, Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley has seldom been used in the passing game. Since that game, in fact, he has just eight catches for 115 yards and no scores over the course of three games.

While that lack of production may be disconcerting to his fantasy owners, I don't think it is anything to worry about. The Green Bay offense has so many weapons that it is impossible to satisfy all of them in a given week. Their offense is cyclical, so as teams start to focus more on Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson, Finley will become open more often.

He has a very solid matchup this week against the Minnesota Vikings who have had a tough time defending the pass. Nelson has been beating teams over the top this season, so I expect plenty of deep safety sets, meaning the middle of the field could be open for Finley. With that said, he should make up for the past few weeks with plenty of production on Sunday.

Projection: Seven catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns

Jason Hanson: K, Detroit Lions

Realistically, any kicker can lead the league in fantasy points in any given week. It simply has everything with how that kicker's offense moves the ball and whether they get into the end zone or stall out while in field goal range.

One kicker who seems to have a lot of factors in his favor is the Detroit Lions' Jason Hanson. The veteran kicker has fared very well this season and his offense will be facing an Atlanta Falcons secondary that can be exploited. Also, he'll be kicking in the friendly confines of Ford Field where the conditions will be perfect.

It can be argued that the Lions may just score touchdowns which would adversely affect Hanson's fantasy value, but if running back Jahvid Best is out of the lineup, Detroit may find it difficult to sustain long drives. With that in mind, I think Hanson will get his share of field goal chances, and he'll cash in.

Projection: 3/3 field goals, 3/3 extra points

Baltimore Ravens DEF/ST

The most important factor when choosing a fantasy defense is what that defense's matchup is. Even if that defense isn't usually particularly dominant, if it is facing an anemic offense, then it has big potential to put up some fantasy points.

Sometimes that perfect storm happens, though, where a legitimately great defense faces a terrible offense. That will be the case on Monday night when the dominant Baltimore Ravens defense takes on the Jacksonville Jaguars with rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert under center.

Jacksonville can move the ball a bit with running back Maurice Jones-Drew, but the Ravens are nearly impenetrable in the running game, so that will leave everything to Gabbert. While Gabbert has been OK so far, I think that the Ravens will certainly be able to exploit him and force some mistakes.

Projection: 10 points allowed, two interceptions, five sacks and one defensive touchdown