Matt Cassel has been quietly effective this season.

The 2009 NFL season seemed a lot more like March Madness this past weekend as several Cinderella teams knocked off heavily favoured opponents.

As far as the fantasy scene, we saw several big performances from running backs we never heard of such as Atlanta’s Javon Snelling and Washington’s Rock Cartwright. Of course, those talents could only sneak under the radar for so long.

Here’s a look at the Hidden Jewels, Week 12 edition.

Buyer’s guide:

1. Look for catches or rushes (how often did the player have the ball in their hands?)

2. Look for touchdowns (are they a part of the goal line or red zone attack?)

3. Look at their age (are they a young player rising, a good investment?)

4. Look at their team and roster (were they filling in, and what’s their role?)

5. Look at post-game recap (any quotes of encouragement for upcoming weeks?)

SILVER

MATT CASSEL, QB, CHIEFS

I’ve been promoting his services all season. Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel is the ultimate safe bet when it comes to fantasy football this season.

While the Chiefs may be downright awful, this guy has winning numbers. In fact, his touchdown-to-interception ratio is actually better this season than in ’08, even without Randy Moss and Wes Welker in the fold.

In total, Cassel has 12 touchdowns compared to six interceptions in ’09. His recent 248-yard, two touchdown effort against the Steelers was particularly impressive when you consider that his lead wide-out, Dwayne Bowe, sat out the first four games due to steroid use.

MOHAMED MASSAQUOI, WR, BROWNS

For the second time this season, Browns rookie wide-out Mohamed Massaquoi surpassed the century mark in receiving yards. The former Georgia Bulldogs star racked up five grabs and 115 yards in a surprisingly exciting Lions-Browns contest. Massaquoi also scored his first NFL touchdown, which is hopefully a sign of things to come between him and young quarterback Brady Quinn. This weekend Massaquoi and the Browns face the Bengals.

The last time Massaquoi faced Cincinnati, he surprised us all with eight grabs for 148 yards receiving.

JUSTIN FORSETT, RB, SEAHAWKS

After breaking onto the fantasy scene with 123 rushing yards and a touchdown last weekend against the Cardinals, Justin Forsett managed only nine yards on nine rushes this past weekend.

The good news is that he still scored a touchdown and was also utilized quite a bit as a receiving threat. In total, Forsett established a career high with eight receptions and 80 yards receiving. The performance was very impressive when you consider that he was contending with the Minnesota defense. Forsett should enjoy an easier ride this weekend against the St. Louis Rams, assuming Julius Jones remains on the sidelines.

GOLD

BRANDON PETTIGREW, TE, LIONS

The Lions seem to have a remarkably bright future with quarterback Matthew Stafford surrounded by big-time talents including running back Kevin Smith and Calvin Johnson. It’s time to add tight end Brandon Pettigrew to the list. The first round pick out of Oklahoma State secured his second touchdown of the season, while also establishing a career high with 72 yards. Fantasy managers may want to pick up Pettigrew while trading the disappointing Jason Witten in order to capitalize on the available talent on the waiver wire.

CHRIS CHAMBERS, WR, CHIEFS

Apparently this rejuvenated Chambers is legit. The Chiefs have struck gold since signing the veteran receiver. After disappointing in San Diego, Chambers has enjoyed three straight strong performances with a minimum of 60 yards. Most recently, Chambers exploded for 119 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Those numbers should be respected for two reasons. First, Chambers has a decent quarterback now in Matt Cassel. Next, lead Chiefs receiver Dwayne Bowe is suspended for another three games.

This pushes Chambers up the depth chart to the top weapon for Cassel.

BERNARD SCOTT, RB, BENGALS

The big question here is whether Cedric Benson will return to the field this weekend. If not, fantasy managers should jump at the chance to pick up Bernard Scott.

Though the Bengals left Oakland with a loss, Scott did his job with 119 rushing yards on just 21 carries, while accumulating an additional 32 yards receiving. The sixth round pick out of Abilene Christian has a shot at fantasy bliss this weekend considering the Bengals once again face an inferior foe with the Cleveland Browns next up on the schedule.

DIAMOND

JASON SNELLING, RB, FALCONS

Though the Falcons came away with a loss against the New York Giants, they can at least take satisfaction in the fact that they have a found a legitimate tailback behind Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood.

Javon Snelling kept the game close with 76 rushing yards and two touchdowns on Sunday. This weekend, Snelling faces an easier task as the Dirty Birds host the inferior Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Even with a healthy Norwood back in the fold, fantasy managers can rely on a healthy dose of rushing yards and goal line carries from Snelling.

ROCK CARTWRIGHT, RB, REDSKINS

Similar to the Falcons, the Washington Redskins were forced to call on its third-string running back after backup tailback Ladell Betts tore his ACL and MCL last weekend.

To the rescue emerged Rock Cartwright, a 30-year old veteran drafted in the seventh round of the 2002 draft. Cartwright proved to have more than just a cool name, as he gathered 140 total yards of offense, allowing the ‘Skins to keep up with the Cowboys into the final moments of the contest. Cartwright will get the start this weekend against a decent Eagles defense.

KEVIN BOSS, TE, GIANTS

While highly-touted veterans such as Jason Witten struggle, Giants tight end Kevin Boss is enjoying a career season. The Giants 2007 fifth-round pick established season highs with five grabs, 76 yards, and two touchdowns against the Falcons on Sunday.

With four touchdowns over the last three games, there isn’t a hotter tight end in the NFL. With the Giants rushing game struggling, the team has turned to the passing attack more than in previous seasons.