Week 6: Pickups of the Week

QB Kyle Orton, ---

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Never in a million years did I think I'd find myself in this position. Admittedly, I feel dirty recommending Kyle Orton. Truly, these must be dark times. But you can't argue with the cold comfort of statistics: seven touchdowns, only one pick, no lost fumbles, and five straight wins this year to go along with a career regular season record as a starter of 26-12. A truly objective look tells us that Orton wins game -- whether for Denver, or for your fantasy team. Don't believe me? Maybe you Peyton Manning and Tony Romo owners, or (shudder) you Shaun Hill and Chad Henne owners have better solutions this week. That's right, trust in the stats my friends. It's scary, but -- no matter how you break it down -- Orton is playing like a top-10 fantasy QB right now and is worth starting next week.

RB Jamal Lewis, ---

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Harrison pressed him and Lewis responded...this time. However, this is a battle that will rage all season long. For now, Lewis has shown he's got some fight left in him. With his job seemingly at stake, Lewis had his first 30+ carries, 100+ yard rushing game since 2007. The Browns are short on receivers, especially after the Braylon Edwards trade. The team will continue to lean on Lewis until such time as he sputters. Lewis has three tough matchups in a row -- Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Chicago -- but is worth stashing for the occasional flex play or bye week replacement in most leagues.

RB Sammy Morris, ---

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With Fred Taylor down and out, Sammy Morris assumes the dubious distinction of being number one in the Patriots' backfield pecking order. Unfortunately, last week was close to a best case scenario for him. Morris isn't likely to reach 20 carries most games, but he is the most dynamic and reliable running back in New England, and can be a factor in both the running and passing attack. He is a strong choice as a week 6 bye replacement in most fantasy formats.

RB Carnell Williams, ---

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Williams was less than electrifying on Sunday. He had fewer yards than he did carries, but he nevertheless continues to get more looks and touches than Derrick Ward. Forget that he laid an egg against the Eagles, Williams deserves another shot this week against a Carolina team that has left behind a trail of happy opposing running backs. The Panthers are giving up more than 155 yards per game on the ground and could provide the fodder for a nice Carnell Williams bounce-back game.

WR Miles Austin, ---

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Sunday at about 4:45 pm ET fantasy owners all over the world sprinted to their computers to pick up new single-game franchise-record holder Austin Miles (who had just turned another simple, intermediate hook pattern into a back-breaking, game-winning TD). His 10-catch, 250-yard receiving game is nothing to sneeze at, but amidst the excitement you need to keep perspective. Yes, Austin has definitely earned himself more playing time. Yes, he showed impressive speed and toughness on both his long touchdown runs. However, he's also had trouble with drops this season and did drop an easy pass in the end zone during the first quarter of the Chiefs' game. He also recorded both his TDs on Sunday against a secondary that showed all the tackling ability of your average Pop Warner team. Worth picking up? Sure. But one great game does not make him a fantasy star.

WR Jeremy Maclin, ---

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Sometimes one great game can make a player into a fantasy star. Actually, most of you probably knew what Maclin was capable of already. It was just a matter of his getting his crack at the starting job. He got that start last Sunday and parlayed it into a 6-catch, 142-yard, 2-TD coming out party. The Buccaneers had no answer for the rookie speedster and just couldn't keep DBs behind him. You've got to expect future opponents to give him more respect. But, with similarly explosive deep threat DeSean Jackson on the other side of the field, defenses will be put in the difficult position of choosing which player to double-cover. As a result, both receivers will see some single coverage on go routes. Kevin Curtis never gave the Eagles this dimension of big play ability. If Maclin stays in the starting lineup (and he should), the Eagles' passing game improves significantly going forward.

WR Eddie Royal, ---

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Oh, I remember this guy. He's the same player who came from out of nowhere to put up 90 catches for nearly 1,000 yards in 2008. The same player many thought would replace Brandon Marshall as Denver's go-to guy this year. The same player who was mass-dropped after disappearing for the first four games this year. Well, he's back. Royal found openings all night long against a stiff Patriots defense as the Broncos found more and creative ways to get him involved. He's too much of a weapon to stay as quiet as he has, and I'm betting he'll start putting up more consistently solid performances for the rest of the season. Royal might have trouble matching the numbers he put up with Cutler at the helm, but he looks to have broken out of his early-season funk to establish some chemistry with Orton. Brandon Marshall's recent emergence also means that Royal will see softer coverage as teams focus on stopping Josh McDaniels' new BFF. Royal is sneaky good and shouldn't be sitting on the waiver wire in any league -- though he's currently unowned in one out of every four MyFantasyLeague.com leagues.

TE Jermichael Finley, ---

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Young Jermichael Finley is coming off a game in which he was targeted a team-high seven times. He brings more athleticism and causes bigger matchup problems for opposing defenses than does Donald Lee, and should be the more productive Packers TE by season's end. Only the struggles of Green Bay's offensive line can keep Finley from becoming a solid fantasy play week-in and week-out. Against Detroit in week 6 and then Cleveland in week 7, pass protection shouldn't be an issue and Finley should build on his week 4 breakout.

PK Robbie Gould, ---

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Gould is ranked as FFToolbox's number seven kicker fantasy kicker going forward, yet currently sits unclaimed in many leagues. Let's blame this anomaly on the fact that the many owners who dropped him in favor of other kicking alternatives during his bye week haven't yet had thought to reclaim him. Take advantage now and you could have yourself steady production for the rest of the year. The Bears are among the top scoring teams in the league and lean heavily on the contributions of their kicker. Since 2007, Gould has averaged more than eight points per contest.

Green Bay

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The Detroit Lions (with a questionable Calvin Johnson) next week, the Cleveland Browns in week seven. If you're Dom Capers, any Packers defender, or a fantasy owners who has Green Bay's D/ST, you've got to be licking your chops in expectation of a two-week funfest. The Lions have coughed the ball up eight times and given up a whopping 17 sacks. The Browns have managed just 11 points per game this season -- behind only the Rams and Raiders. These types of matchups are truly no-brainers for those looking for defensive help.