The riveting round of dueling blunders between Chicago’s Rex Grossman and Minnesota’s Brad Johnson was much more than just a heinous display of football.

Their seven interceptions, crazy tosses to nobody in particular and passer ratings you could count on your fingers also illustrated the league-wide quarterback shortage that’s killing fantasy teams.

Need proof? Last week I had to start Tennessee’s Vince Young and lost to a guy starting Miami’s Joey Harrington. (Joey Harrington!) Others in the league have started J.P Losman, David Carr, Alex Smith, Drew Bledsoe, Damon Huard, etc. I’m sure it’s the same in every league.

By my count there are only five quarterbacks you can expect big numbers from with at least some regularity: Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Tony Romo, Carson Palmer and Tom Brady.

So with the playoffs looming in most leagues, what do you do if you don’t have one of the Big Five? If you have somebody on the next level who’s capable of big games but rarely has them – such as Marc Bulger or Michael Vick – you pretty much have to cross your fingers and go with them. If not, you’ll have no choice but to cross your fingers really hard and continue overthinking the best matchups for your marginal QBs.

As you read up on Tarvaris Jackson and Brian Griese, here are some players to start in Week 14, and a handful that just may pan out:

Quarterbacks

A safe bet

¢ Don’t be discouraged by Brees’ meager stats last week. He still passed nearly 30 times and threw some deep balls. It’s just that the 49ers can make running look so easy.

¢ Romo looked human last week for the first time since becoming the starter in Dallas, but he should go back to superhuman in a shootout against a Saints defense that has allowed 21 touchdown passes.

¢ Young is fresh out of Mannings to slay and so gets to try out his newfound confidence on the lowly Texans. He threw and ran for a score against Houston a couple of months ago, and the Texans have given up some huge passing days.

¢ Atlanta’s Vick continues to alternate between versatile threat and raging incompetent, but it looks like he’s back to the former. Plus, he’s had three straight two-TD games against Tampa Bay.

¢ Don’t forget the rule that you start any quarterback (except Rex Grossman) against the Vikings, even if it’s Detroit’s Jon Kitna this week.

Take a shot

¢ Jeff Garcia has gotten better each week as Philadelphia’s starter since Donovan McNabb was knocked out for the year. (Both McNabb and Garcia running the offense effectively really must be driving Terrell Owens crazy.)

Running backs

All day long

¢ Overthinker Alert: Never consider benching Kansas City’s Larry Johnson, even against the Ravens. He’s never faced Baltimore as a starter but has torn up the last few tough defenses he played, going over 100 in three straight games against Denver and two straight against San Diego.

¢ Steven Jackson should have a big day, assuming the Rams have noticed the Bears’ scary defense hasn’t been much on tackling runners lately. Chicago’s giving up 139 yards rushing a game the past five games, including 192 to Minnesota last week.

¢ When the Bears aren’t failing to tackle Jackson, the Rams will be failing to tackle Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson. The Rams rank 31st at 153 yards rushing a game and 14 touchdowns allowed.

¢ Minnesota’s Chester Taylor probably won’t play because of injured ribs, so backup Ciatrick Faison could pile up huge numbers against a Detroit defense exhausted from actually competing last week. Whoever starts is a good option; Taylor had 154 total yards against the Lions in October.

¢ Washington’s Ladell Betts just signed a contract extension Friday, meaning he’ll again be Clinton Portis’ backup instead of a free agent in 2007. He should continue making a case for more playing time next year against an Eagles defense that gets shoved around pretty regularly.

He could find a seam

¢ Some guy named Cedric Houston has taken over as the Jets’ featured back of the week, coming off a 100-yard game and facing the flimsy Bills.

Wide receivers

Throw him the darn ball

¢ Roy Williams and Mike Furrey both should post big numbers against the Vikings’ porous pass defense. (Don’t start backup QB Josh McCown at receiver, though, despite the fact he for some reason had two catches last week.)

¢ Don’t fret about the Saints’ designated 150-yard receiver position, even though Devery Henderson only had two catches last week. Henderson, who could get another start because of Marques Colston’s ankle injury, did have six passes thrown his way last week.

¢ It’s a little scary for owners of Andre Johnson that the Texans won easily despite not completing a pass after halftime. Surely that won’t happen against Tennessee’s 28th-ranked pass defense.

¢ At least somebody with Chicago ties can succeed using the forward pass. Miami’s Marty Booker is playing like he did in his 1,000-yard days as a Bear, with three TDs in the last two games.

¢ Washington’s Jason Campbell is learning that if you just chuck the ball toward Santana Moss, good things happen. Moss hasn’t scored in his last three against the Eagles, but this isn’t the same old Philly defense.

Maybe throw him the ball?

¢ Notice every time the 49ers’ Antonio Bryant scores the announcer calls it blown coverage? He faces a Green Bay secondary that has various blown coverages in the playbook.