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Buy, Watch or Pass

For some leagues, the Fantasy Football playoffs have started! From now until the end of the season, I will examine some of the more obscure names in Fantasy Football & assess whether or not they can help you during playoff time. Here are the names I came across in Week 13:

QB's

Jeff Garcia, Philadelphia Eagles ' 312 pass yds, 3 TD's

I questioned Jeff Garcia's arm strength a couple weeks ago and whether or not he'd be able to take advantage of all the speed that is on Philadelphia's roster. On Monday night, he answered my question, by throwing for 312 yards & 3 TD's. What's more impressive is that he completed 5 passes of 20+ yards, including two 30+ yard TD passes. He didn't throw an interception either & hasn't thrown one all season. Whether or not this was a fluke remains to be seen, but certainly it will attract attention due to the talent that is surrounding him. The Eagles have 3 straight road games coming up, 2 of them are against weak secondaries in the form of Washington & New York Giants, and cap it off with a home game against a suspect Atlanta pass defense. If there is one QB to take a chance on at this point, it's Garcia. BUY

Trent Green, Kansas City Chiefs ' 297 pass yds, 4 TD's, 1 INT

It took awhile, but Trent Green finally got back into a groove, throwing for 297 yards & 4 touchdowns against Cleveland. There is a chance he is available in your league, but should you pounce on him? Not if you look at his schedule (NFL Pass Defense Rank in parenthesis): Baltimore (9), San Diego (13), Oakland (1) & Jacksonville (6). Cleveland actually has a decent secondary, so it's not to say he won't be able to put up gaudy numbers again. However, it's too risky in my opinion, and I'd rather have someone else. PASS

David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars ' 229 pass yds, 2 TD's

David Garrard is as sporadic as the rest of the Jacksonville Jaguars. He's on one week, off the other week, then back on another week. He was on against Miami on Sunday, throwing for 229 yards, 2 TD's and boasting a 136.4 QB rating. Should we trust him? Absolutely not. He's a decent NFL QB, but not as a fantasy QB. Outside of Tennessee on his schedule, the rest of his opponents are going to be tough to throw against. He may be able to put up points from time to time, but it's too risky at this point in the season. PASS

Vince Young, Tennessee Titans ' 163 pass yds, 78 rush yds, 2 TD's, 2 INT's

While he is still maturing as QB in the NFL, his raw skills are translating into steady fantasy QB numbers due to him utilizing his speed. While he did throw 2 INT's versus a tough Indianapolis secondary, he completed 60% or more of his passes in his last 2 games, the first time he's done so all season. The rest of his schedule is tough, with an away game at Houston being the only soft pass defense he'll see the rest of this season. His running ability will help out against the other teams, but it's too risky if you are trying to win your league. Keep your eye on him for next year though. He could be a breakout player in 2007. BUY only for this week's matchup against Houston, otherwise PASS

RB's

Cedric Houston, New York Jets ' 105 rush yds, 24 rec yds, 2 TD's

The running back carousel continues for the New York Jets. First it was Kevan Barlow, then Leon Washington & now it's Cedric Houston. Houston had a nice game against Green Bay on Sunday, but then again, who hasn't had a good game against the Green Bay defense this year? Houston didn't actually start the game (Washington started) but most likely will get the start next Sunday. A matchup versus Buffalo looks awful tempting, but the Jets are using the flow of the game to determine who gets the majority of carries between him & Washington. This isn't a situation to get caught up into during fantasy playoff time. My advice is to stay away unless someone is declared the starter and receives the bulk of the carries. PASS

DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers ' 74 rush yds, 101 rec yds, 1 TD

DeShaun Foster was out for the second straight game, allowing DeAngelo Williams to step in and produce 175 total yards & a touchdown. Williams' value comes only if Foster is out, otherwise they are splitting carries and his value is diminished. Foster is listed as questionable so far for this week's game, but Carolina has 3 straight games against some tough run defenses, so it's probably best to avoid this situation if he is available. The final game against New Orleans though is intriguing though, so keep your eye on what's going on in Carolina. WATCH

Ladell Betts, Washington Redskins ' 155 rush yds, 18 rec yds, 1 TD

It was another strong outing for Betts, as he delivered 173 total yards & a touchdown on Sunday versus Atlanta. Betts has clearly has a firm handle the starting job for the rest of the year & has plenty of run defenses to gash against Philadelphia, New Orleans & St. Louis. Washington has one of the best offensive lines in football & with Joe Gibbs showing commitment to the run in back to back games; Betts is a solid number 2 back the rest of the way. BUY

WR's

Mike Furrey, Detroit Lions ' 123 rec yds, 1 TD

Mike Furrey has certainly been a nice number 2 receiver for Detroit, but sporadic as a fantasy receiver. He's on pace for over 1,000 yards but caught only his fourth touchdown pass on Sunday. His next 2 games are against Minnesota & Green Bay, both of which are secondaries he can exploit. After that, he'll have a tough time finishing the season against Chicago & Dallas. If you need a wide receiver and want to play him, now is the time. BUY only for the next 2 games

Eddie Kennison, Kansas City Chiefs ' 117 rec yds, 1 TD

With Trent Green back in a groove, Kennison had his best fantasy game of the year, hauling in 7 passes for 117 yards & a touchdown. It will most likely be his best game this year though, as his schedule is all downhill from here. He's been inconsistent this year and there aren't any matchups for him to exploit, so it's best to leave him on the waiver wire. PASS

Matt Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars ' 128 rec yds, 1 TD

Matt Jones has been a fantasy bust this season. Labeled by most to be a breakout player this year, he's been anything but that until Sunday, when he caught 6 passes for 128 yards & a touchdown. A lot of people thought with Garrard at the helm he would receive more passes, but it hasn't been the case. It was a one game anomaly & his schedule isn't in his favor the rest of the way. Don't be fooled. PASS