QB Tyler Thigpen, Kansas City Chiefs
Although Tyler Thigpen has far and away exceeded expectations since being handed the full-time keys to the quarterback position in Kansas City, don’t fall too head over heels for his matchup this week against the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders aren’t much of a team but their pass defense is surprisingly good.

RB Reggie Bush, New Orleans Saints
Reggie Bush keeps saying he’s coming back any second now. Even if he’s active in Week 13, it’d be best to avoid playing him right away. The Saints have a lot of options at the running back position and Bush is coming off of a somewhat severe injury. Stay away until he proves he’s back and is getting plenty of touches.

WR Chad Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals
Chad Johnson or Chad Ocho Cinco or whatever he’s calling himself these days isn’t a good start in Week 13. He’s a big name but don’t let that fool you. He’s coming off of a suspension and he may not have as many passes thrown his way as usual. There’s even talk about limiting the amount of time he’s on the field. Look elsewhere in Week 13.

TE Zach Miller, Oakland Raiders
On paper, his matchup this weekend against the Kansas City Chiefs looks like a good one. But Zach Miller is battling an injury and the Raiders will run, run and run some more against the Chiefs. Miller may get lucky and break a long one but if he doesn’t, he’s in for a very quiet day in Week 13 of the fantasy football season.

QB David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars
To begin the 2008 fantasy football season, David Garrard was far from impressive. But the last couple of weeks, Garrard has really started to look like he did during the 2007 NFL season. Now is a good time to buy low and watch him blossom the rest of the season.

RB Michael Pittman, Denver Broncos
Selvin Young is out for Week 6 and Andre Hall isn’t 100%. With that in mind, Michael Pittman could become the lead back in Denver very soon. He already gets goal line carries and a lot of 3rd down action. Pretty soon he may become the lead back.

WR Chad Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals
Can Chad Ocho Cinco play any worse? The answer is likely no. With his status at an all-time low, now is a great time to go out and buy. If you can hold him on your bench for the time being, he could regain his mojo later in the year and be one of the best fantasy receivers.

TE Kellen Winslow, Jr., Cleveland Browns
The entire Cleveland Browns offense isn’t as strong as it was last year. Kellen Winslow, Jr. is feeling the effects of the downturn. The good news is that he’s still very talented and chances are very good that he’ll end the year as a top five tight end.

Chris Henry of the Cincinnati Bengals has been activated following a four game suspension. Henry, who has seen his share of trouble with the law, immediately becomes a player of interest in fantasy football.

If Henry is on your league’s waiver wire, you should definitely think about picking him up. With Chad Johnson (or Chad Ocho Cinco, if you will) and TJ Houshmandzadeh not playing as well as usual, Henry could see a lot of passes headed his way.

However, not only is this good news for Henry, this is very good news for Carson Palmer. Palmer has been a below average fantasy football quarterback so far in 2008 but he usually has very good chemistry with Henry. Additionally, opposing defenses have a lot more trouble defending three talented wide receivers rather than just two.

It may take Henry a few games to be a featured part of the Bengals’ offensive attack, but he’s definitely a fantasy football sleeper to keep an eye on.

Can Chris Henry be the Bengals savior?

Photo: Newscom

Which players are underperforming right now but have a chance to finish the season strong? Here’s our list of sleepers in fantasy football as we head into Week 4 of the 2008 fantasy season.

QB Matt Cassel, New England Patriots
Not too long ago, fantasy football owners were rushing to get their hands on Matt Cassel after Tom Brady went down injured. Now his fantasy stock has plummeted. But give the guy time and remember, he still has Randy Moss on his side.

RB Ryan Torain, Denver Broncos
Currently, the Broncos are using a three-headed monster at running back with Selvin Young, Andre Hall and Michael Pittman. That could all change when Ryan Torain comes back if he’s able to impress the coaches again.

WR Chris Henry, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals offense looks dead in the water. Chad Ocho Cinco doesn’t play like he’s related to Chad Johnson. That said, once Chris Henry comes back for Cincinnati following his suspension, he could become a very important part of that offense.

TE Dustin Keller, New York Jets
Brett Favre typically loves to pass to his tight ends, especially close to the end zone. While Dustin Keller has started off too amazingly, the rookie tight end for the Jets is starting to show signs of life. Keep an eye on him.

K Matt Prater, Denver Broncos
Jason Elam was the kicker for the Broncos forever. However, Matt Prater has stepped in and already has Broncos fans forgetting all about Elam. Prater has a strong long and should get plenty of opportunities in Denver’s high powered offense.

D New York Jets
The Jets defense hasn’t been too impressive yet this season but with all their free agent signings, this is a team that was bound to get off to a relatively slow start. Once they begin to mesh together, expect the Jets to become much better — especially defensively.

Quarterback - Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals
In Week 1, Carson Palmer went up against an amped Baltimore Ravens squad. He didn’t perform well but all hope isn’t lost. His schedule gets easier and he has two of the best wide receivers in the game in Chad Johnson (or Chad Ocho Cinco) and TJ Houshmandzadeh.

Running Back - Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars
Maurice Jones-Drew didn’t get many carries and didn’t do much in the carries he did get. But don’t think he’s in line for a poor season. MJD started off slow last year and ended up playing very well as the season wore on.

Wide Receiver - Torry Holt, St. Louis Rams
It’d be difficult for a wide receiver to be more invisible than Torry Holt was in Week 1. But Holt has a history of putting up numbers and should bounce back nicely. If you can buy him for a discounted cost, go get him.

Tight End - Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs
Even though Tony Gonzalez saved a man’s life this offseason, the fantasy football world is already starting to forget about him after the first week of the season. But with Damon Huard now the quarterback, Gonzalez should quickly ascend to the top of the tight end pack.

Photo: Newscom