These quarterbacks can get job done for you

Have you been a victim of quarterback roulette this season as you try to find one reliable arm, one guy who doesn't make you cringe each week as you beg for more than 1 TD pass?

Many of you who drafted Tom Brady in the first round are probably in this group.

Well, listen up.

There's a group of QBs who should post solid numbers down the stretch and could help lead teams to some big wins. And as an added bonus, the first three listed have also turned bottom-of-the-barrel wide receivers and tight ends into pass-catching machines.

Let's take a look:

1. Kansas City's Tyler Thigpen. Emerging from an unsightly QB derby, Thigpen has breathed life into the Chiefs' once-dormant offense. And even though the team continues to lose game after game, Thigpen is living proof that you don't need to be on a good team to be a good fantasy quarterback.

Over the past three games, the second-year player out of Coastal Carolina has thrown 6 TD passes without an interception. The main beneficiaries have been Dwayne Bowe, Tony Gonzalez (29-307-3 last four) and ex-Bear Mark Bradley (18-188-2, plus 1 TD pass).

With a schedule that includes New Orleans, Oakland, Denver and San Diego, watch for Thigpen and Co. to continue to post huge numbers.

2. Cleveland's Brady Quinn. After a year-and-a-half riding the pine, the second-year Golden Domer finally started his first NFL game last week. He had the Browns well on their way to victory, but lightning struck twice for the Broncos, and Quinn couldn't lead a last-minute drive.

Still, the early results were impressive even if it was against one of the worst defenses in the league. Quinn will clearly lean on TE Kellen Winslow (10 catches out of the 23 completions) until he gets more comfortable. But I like Quinn in certain matchups, especially at home vs. Houston and Indy in Weeks 12 and 13.

3. Baltimore's Joe Flacco. This rookie out of Delaware has started all season for the Ravens and didn't make a ripple for five weeks. But over the teams' last four games, a Flacco has produced a wave of points with 6 TD passes without an interception.

Derrick Mason (73 ypg since Week 2) has been a nice third fantasy WR most of the season, although he's going to be a game-time decision with a shoulder injury this week. And even Todd Heap (5-58-2) got into the action last week.

The only problem here is that Flacco's schedule down the stretch is brutal, so be mindful.

4. Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck. Just before Week 4, I wrote a column about how Hasselbeck and WR Deion Branch were coming back and should provide a mountain of points.

Well, they both got hurt again.

But now they are back, so grab them if you can, and if they look good this week, don't hesitate to use them.

5. Houston's Sage Rosenfels. With Matt Schaub out for a month, Rosenfels is a nice play in the right spots. He was awful last week against Baltimore but should bounce back nicely this week in Indianapolis.

Worth a shot? In flex-option leagues where a third RB is allowed, here's an off-the-wall suggestion: consider using the Vikings' Chester Taylor.

His recent numbers are such that they will beat many middling wide receivers, and he has a sweet fantasy playoff schedule (Lions, Cardinals, Falcons) in Weeks 14-16. Taylor (16 catches, 190 yards, 1 TD last four) is the Vikings' third-down back and is frequently used as a safety valve for quarterback Gus Frerotte.

In leagues that award 1 point per 10 yards, Taylor has 45 points the past five games, a 9.0 average.

My teams: Going up against Eddie Royal (28 points), Anquan Boldin (22), Marques Colston (17), Joe Flacco (23) and Thomas Jones (35) meant a certain loss in my regular league (5-5). Despite scoring the third-most points, thanks to Kurt Warner (33), Reggie Wayne (23) and the GB defense (24), it wasn't enough in a 152-115 loss. In the unit league (5-5), I won 61-42.

Good bets

• Packers WR Donald Driver vs. the Bears. Tennessee's Brandon Jones (8-82) and Justin Gage (4-47-1), Detroit's Shaun McDonald (6-65-1), Minnesota's Bobby Wade (5-60) and Atlanta's Harry Douglas (5-96) are the second-rate receivers who have all burned the Bears secondary the last four weeks. Driver's in for a big game.

• Falcons QB Matt Ryan vs. Denver. Ryan has thrown for multiple TDs in four of the last five games. After this week, make it five out of six.

• Eagles WRs DeSean Jackson and Kevin Curtis at Cincinnati. Both Philly receivers make for nice WR3s this week.

• Texans RB Steve Slaton at Indianapolis. Don't get too discouraged about Slaton's awful showing last week (4 carries, 7 yards against Baltimore). Texans coach Gary Kubiak said "the kid needed a break. He's played a lot of football in a short period of time. I expect him to bounce right back." Slaton had 93 rushing yards and 2 TDs the last time these teams met.

• Bucs WR Antonio Bryant vs. Minnesota. In two of Tampa's last three games, Bryant has 115 receiving yards and a TD.

• Steelers WR Hines Ward vs. San Diego. Ward has just 2 TDs since Week 2, but the Chargers are often shredded through the air.

• Browns RB Jamal Lewis at Buffalo. The Bills have allowed a rushing TD in seven of the last eight weeks.

• Bills RB Marshawn Lynch vs. Cleveland. Lynch has been atrocious lately, but the Browns have allowed four 100-yard rushers on the season, and three in the last five weeks.

• Niners kicker Joe Nedney vs. St. Louis. You may not realize it, but Nedney (17 of 19) has had some big games, and the Rams are in the top five in fantasy points allowed to kickers.

• Niners defense vs. St. Louis. Use San Fran only if you are really struggling with defenses, but if you are, this is a great spot.

Bad bets

• Cowboys QB Tony Romo at Washington. I haven't liked what's been coming out of Dallas this week. Romo, who will play with a splint on his hand, admitted the pinkie is giving him trouble and that throwing 15-yard out patterns was painful. Throw in the fact he's facing a tough Redskins D, and I'm worried about what kind of numbers we'll see.

• Ravens RB Willis McGahee at New York Giants. Hope you managed to reap the benefits of McGahee's 2-TD game because he's going to get shut down this week by the G-Men.

• Giants RB Brandon Jacobs vs. Baltimore. Did I really put Jacobs (126 rush yards, 2 TDs) in the bad bets last week? Whoops. I mean this week vs. a Ravens team that has allowed 1 rushing touchdown all season.

• Bucs RB Earnest Graham vs. Minnesota. Graham hasn't gone over 65 rushing yards since Week 4, and with Carnell Williams returning off the PUP list, Graham has turned into nothing more than a flex option.

• Chargers WRs Vincent Jackson and Malcolm Floyd at Pittsburgh. Jackson (72 ypg since Week 1) and Floyd (3 TDs last four) have been solid, but they will struggle in the Steel City.

• Jaguars kicker Josh Scobee vs. Tennessee. By a wide margin, no team has allowed fewer fantasy points to kickers than the Titans.

• Read more from John at ffmastermind.com and catch him each Thursday in the 1 p.m. hour with Mike Murphy on WSCR 670-AM.