Fantasy football owners are trying to digest the news that Jay Cutler was traded to the Chicago Bears from the Denver Broncos. This news will affect many NFL players in the fantasy football world.

Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears (Image: Newscom)

First of all, Cutler himself probably sees his stock lower quite significantly. In Chicago, he joins a team with a mediocre receiving corps and a history of running the ball often. Logic suggests his stats will drop after spending his last few years in the wide open offense run in Denver.

For the Broncos, the wide receivers also see their stocks go south. Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal aren’t worth as much without Cutler delivering passes. However, whoever wins the running back battle for the Broncos could see their stock rise due to more carries.

In Chicago, the Bears receivers are now viable in the fantasy world. Devin Hester, the return specialist turned wide receiver, will be a popular sleeper pick during 2009 fantasy football drafts. If he enters the season as the number one wide receiver, Cutler could look for him early and often.

Tight end Greg Olson should also see his stock rise considerably following the acquisition of Cutler. He seems to have all the tools to be a star at the position and Cutler may be able to push him to the next level.

Also keep an eye to see on who will become the quarterback in Denver. With a new regime in town, the offensive tinkering may just have just begun.

QB Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
Capping off a masterful season, Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw for 386 yards and four touchdowns. He finished the season with more than 5000 passing yards — a number that made him a fantasy football favorite all season long. Going into 2009, Brees has to be a top flight QB option in the fantasy world.

RB Michael Bush, Oakland Raiders
In their stunning victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Raiders running back Michael Bush proved he has NFL level talent. He ran for two touchdowns and 177 yards. Although the Raiders will likely build their future running game around Darren McFadden, Bush showed enough in the season finale to be a candidate to split time with McFadden next season.

WR Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
Andre Johnson finished a very productive 2008 fantasy football season with ten catches, 148 yards and two touchdowns in the final week of the season. The Texans have emerged as a quality offensive team and next season, the Matt Schaub and Johnson connection could be one of the best in the entire NFL.

TE Tony Scheffler, Denver Broncos
Although it was a quiet week for tight ends in Week 17, Tony Scheffler managed to have a good game. The Broncos starting tight end had five catches for 75 yards and a touchdown grab. All in all, Scheffler had his moments in 2008 fantasy football but injuries and inconsistency kept him from being a top fantasy tight end.

Photo credit: Newscom

QB Seneca Wallace, Seattle Seahawks
Coming off of a very good game against the New England, Seneca Wallace will face the pitiful St. Louis Rams defense this week. Last Week, Wallace finished with three touchdowns, 212 passing yards and 47 rushing yards. This week he has a chance to put up similar stats against the Rams. If you need an emergency fantasy football quarterback starter, look for Wallace.

RB Tatum Bell, Denver Broncos
With Peyton Hillis now out for the season with a hamstring injury, Tatum Bell is the starting running back in Denver. He’s had some success in the past in this system and should be extra motivated knowing that this could very well be his last chance to earn a spot in the NFL. Start him if your other options are shaky.

WR Torry Holt, St. Louis Rams
Torry Holt has quietly gotten better over the last few weeks. He’s running better routes and is getting open more often. In the last four weeks, he has 17 receptions and has had at least 60 yards in all but one of those games. He’ll likely have a breakout game at some point before the end of the season and Week 15 against the Seahawks is a possibility.

TE Donald Lee, Green Bay Packers
In each of the last two games, Donald Lee has a touchdown. In the last four games, he has three touchdowns. While he’s not getting a whole lot of passes thrown his way, he’s a definite threat near the end zone. Going against a mediocre Jacksonville Jaguars defense in Week 15 makes Lee a good play.

Photo credit: Newscom

QB Matt Schaub, Houston Texans
Returning from injury, Matt Schaub showed why he’s regarded as one of the up and coming quarterbacks in fantasy football. In Week 14, Schaub played very well against the Green Bay Packers. He finished the game with 414 passing yards and two touchdowns. Plus he orchestrated a game-winning drive near the end of the game, which should help his confidence going forward.

RB Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles
When healthy, Brian Westbrook continues to be a beast. In Week 14, Westbrook had over 200 combined rushing and receiving yards and two touchdowns. More impressively, he did that damage against the New York Giants. The best news for Westbrook owners is that he looks healthy and should have a good finish to the season.

WR Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos
Brandon Marshall had been quiet lately but he stepped up in a big way in Week 14. The Broncos wide receiver had 91 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions. Once upon a time, Marshall was the best wide receiving going in 2008 fantasy football. After this performance, he once again has to be considered elite.

TE Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs
As has been the case often this season, Tony Gonzalez was the best tight end in Week 14 of the 2008 fantasy football season. Gonzalez finished the week with 73 yards and a touchdown. He now has at least five receptions for eight consecutive weeks. During that time, he also has five touchdowns.

QB Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles
Even though Donovan McNabb had a very good Week 13 showing, don’t bet on him to repeat that performance in Week 14. Going up against the New York Giants, McNabb’s limited mobility will be on full display. If the Giants get a good rush on him, it could be a very long and disappointing game for McNabb.

RB Clinton Portis, Washington Redskins
Clinton Portis has a lot of things going against him this weekend. First of all, he has to deal with a myriad of injuries that have slowed him in recent weeks. Equally as scary is the fact that he’s up against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14. Considering both aspects, this would be a good week to look elsewhere for production.

WR Justin Gage, Tennessee Titans
Although Justin Gage have had some big games over the last six weeks, he’s not a very good start this weekend against the Cleveland Browns. Gage is going up against a defense that has played well the last two weeks and although his stats have been good, the number of targets haven’t been enough to expect production week in and week out.

TE Tony Scheffler, Denver Broncos
Although the Broncos have a good matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Broncos will likely be running a whole lot. When they do pass, they’ll probably go deep to a wide receiver. Combine those two possibilities and Tony Scheffler doesn’t seem like he’ll have a lot of chances to impact Week 14 of the 2008 fantasy football season.

QB Shaun Hill, San Francisco 49ers
Being a quarterback in a Mike Martz offense is generally a good thing. Shaun Hill of the 49ers seems to be taking advantage of that opportunity. Hill, who replaced an ineffective JT O’Sullivan, played very well last week and should be a good backup fantasy football quarterback from here on.

RB Tatum Bell, Denver Broncos
If you are looking to strike gold on the Week 12 waiver wire, you definitely have to consider Tatum Bell a sleeper. Bell has been signed by the Broncos after a bevy of injuries depleted their running back corps. Bell has had success in that system before and could excel once again if given a shot.

WR Justin Gage, Tennessee Titans
With teams looking to defend the run, Kerry Collins and the Titans have been forced to pass more in recent weeks. When healthy, Gage has been the team’s number one receiver. He now has three touchdowns in the last two weeks and should continue to get plenty of looks going forward.

TE Benjamin Watson, New England Patriots
As Matt Cassel grows into his role, he seems to be looking more and more for Benjamin Watson. Watson had a big week in Week 11 and is now definitely a Week 12 waiver wire possibility. If he gets enough passes his way, he could easily end up as a top ten tight end over the course of the rest of the season.

If any of these players are available on the waiver wire of your fantasy football league, don’t hesitate to pick them up ASAP. These players are more than capable of helping you win a fantasy football championship in 2008.

QB Tyler Thigpen, Kansas City Chiefs
Entering the 2008 fantasy football season, Tyler Thigpen was the third quarterback on the Chiefs depth chart. Now Thigpen has ascended to the starting spot and he’s producing very well. He appears to be a legit quarterback and is very likely Kansas City’s QB of the future. Pick him up now and he can serve as a quality fantasy football option depending on the matchup.

RB Peyton Hillis, Denver Broncos
Although he’s more of a fullback, Peyton Hillis should become the new running back for the Broncos. Injuries to Selvin Young, Michael Pittman, Andre Hall and Ryan Torain have opened the door for Hillis to get a shot. As any fantasy football veteran can tell you, picking up the right Broncos running back at the right time can lead to big things.

WR Mark Bradley, Kansas City Chiefs
With Thigpen delivering him the ball, Mark Bradley has emerged as a quality fantasy football wide receiver option. In fact, with as hot as he currently is, he’s a player you need to get into your starting lineup. Once he gets the ball in his hands, he can use his quicks to make plays and score touchdowns.

TE Kevin Boss, New York Giants
For the third consecutive week, Kevin Boss scored a touchdown. He’s emerging as one of Eli Manning’s favorite targets, especially around the endzone. With as well as he has been playing in recent weeks, Boss certainly can start on your 2008 fantasy football team.

QB Jay Cutler, Denver Broncos
During the offseason, Jay Cutler learned he had diabetes and took steps to combat the disease. During the 2008 fantasy football season, he’s looked very, very good. In Week 10, he threw for more than 400 yards and had three touchdown passes. Going forward, he has to be considered a top five quarterback in the fantasy world.

RB Thomas Jones, New York Jets
When you see the final score of 47-3, you probably thought Brett Favre destroyed the St. Louis Rams. While Favre had a pretty good day, it was actually Thomas Jones who did most of the damage. Jones had 149 yards and three touchdowns to thrill fantasy football owners around the world who started him.

WR Eddie Royal, Denver Broncos
Eddie Royal, not Brandon Marshall, was Cutler’s go-to wide receiver in Week 10. Royal started the season off very well but then went through a bit of a slump. It looks like he’s back at 100% and he’s now the most dangerous rookie wide receiver in fantasy football. Start him until he shows he’s not worthy.

TE Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs
We had Tony Gonzalez as the best Week 10 tight end start and he didn’t disappoint. Gonzalez had 113 yards and two touchdowns to show why he’s still one of the best tight ends in the entire league. With Chiefs quarterback Tyler Thigpen playing quite well, Gonzalez should be a very good fantasy player for the rest of the season.

Want to take a gamble on a player who has a chance of becoming a big contributor at some point between now and the end of the 2008 fantasy football season? Take a look at these players:

QB Daunte Culpepper, Detroit Lions
Daunte Culpepper is destined to get a lot of starts for the Detroit Lions at quarterback. He recently signed a two-year contract and he’ll be given a chance to prove he’s worth the investment. While he’ll likely be rusty right off the bat, he was a fantasy football stud not too long ago. Take a chance on him if you have the roster room.

RB Peyton Hillis, Denver Broncos
Usually, players who play fullback in the NFL aren’t worth much as running backs in fantasy football. That said, Peyton Hillis very well might be worth a look. He plays fullback but he’s more of a receiving fullback than a blocking fullback. On top of that, he could get a number of carries due to all the injuries suffered by the other Broncos RBs. And don’t forget, Reuben Droughns went from Broncos fullback to stud fantasy running back seemingly overnight.

WR Devery Henderson, New Orleans Saints
Devery Henderson leads the NFL in yards per catch. The problem is that he hasn’t caught too many passes so far in 2008. Henderson is a speedy and big target but his hands are very questionable. But if he can find his groove and regain the form he had a few years ago, he could quickly become a big play fantasy football threat who could become a weapon down the stretch.

TE David Martin, Miami Dolphins
In Miami, most of the tight end talk focuses on Anthony Fasano. While Fasano deserves that credit, David Martin should be recognized as well. He’s a very talented pass catcher who could blossom if his role expands or Fasano suffers an injury. The Dolphins passing game continues to get better so don’t be surprised if you see Martin become fantasy relevant at some point in 2008.

In Week 10 of the fantasy football season, we are seeing the NFL’s first Thursday night game. In the contest, the Cleveland Browns host the Denver Broncos. Both teams have a lot of questions that will have to be answered on the field.

For the Browns, their biggest change is at quarterback. Derek Anderson, who was fantastic last season but struggled in the 2008 fantasy football season, has been benched and Brady Quinn has been elevated to starter. Quinn is a second year player out of Notre Dame who had a very successful college career.

Quinn will likely have a learning curve in his transition to the NFL, but he’s going against a very friendly defense. He also has a number of talented players surrounding him in the Browns offense including wide receiver Braylon Edwards. If you need an emergency starter at quarterback, Quinn is a good option to have at least 200 yards and a touchdown in his first NFL start.

For the Broncos, the questions are at running back. With Michael Pittman and Andre Hall both out for the season due to recent injuries and Selvin Young still not 100% healthy, rookie running back Ryan Torain will get the start. Torain is expected to carry the load, with Young filling in for a few carries. However, the Broncos running back situation is almost always difficult to analyze so start Torain only if you must.

Overall, expect a high scoring affair with many fantasy points also being scored for almost everyone involved.