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.

QB Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons are going against an Oakland Raiders defense that simply isn’t that good. Last week, fellow rookie quarterback Joe Flacco had a good fantasy day against this same defense. Expect Ryan to have an even better game in Week 9. Right now, he’s a definite fantasy football sleeper for the week.

RB Michael Pittman, Denver Broncos
Michael Pittman is banged up and is currently listed as questionable for the Week 9 game. But he was able to practice late in the week and should start the game and have a heavy workload. Against the Miami Dolphins, Pittman should be able to produce a nice fantasy football line.

WR Joey Galloway, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Chance are Joey Galloway is going to have a breakout game at some point this season. This week against the Kansas City Chiefs is a good bet to be that week. Galloway is as healthy as he’s been since his injury and should be able to get a long touchdown in this week’s game.

TE Donald Lee, Green Bay Packers
The Packers are facing a very tough defense this week when they take on the Tennessee Titans in Week 9. However, if the Packers are going to have any success against the Titans, it will likely be with Lee finding room in the middle of their secondary. That is the one weak spot in the Tennessee defense, as illustrated last week when tight end Dallas Clark had a pair of touchdowns.

QB Dan Orlovsky, Detroit Lions
So far this season, Dan Orlovsky hasn’t looked much like a capable fantasy football quarterback. But if you are really desperate for a QB in Week 7, consider Orlovsky a fantasy football sleeper for the week. He’s facing a bendable Houston Texans defense and with Jon Kitna out of the year, he no longer has to look over his shoulder. Expect him to have at least one touchdown pass.

RB Michael Pittman, Denver Broncos
While it’s never a happy feeling starting a running back against the New England Patriots, Pittman should have some success. He’s coming off of a very good week in Week 6 and the Patriots have shown some holes so far in 2008. Pittman is a sleeper to have a huge week this weekend.

WR Isaac Bruce, San Francisco 49ers
The matchup against the New York Giants looks daunting but the Cleveland Browns had success last week through the air against NY. If the 49ers can have similar success, Bruce will be in for a big game. He has emerged as the team’s go-to receiver and he looks to be in very good shape.

TE Donald Lee, Green Bay Packers
It appears as if Aaron Rodgers is slowly but surely adding tight end Donald Lee into the team’s passing attack. Lee, who thrived last season when Brett Favre was quarterback, has a better than average matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. Consider Lee a fantasy football sleeper in Week 7.

QB Kyle Orton, Chicago Bears
Don’t look now but Kyle Orton is one of the hottest quarterbacks in the entire NFL. He started the season off slowly but he’s now put up four consecutive solid fantasy weeks. In Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons, he wasn’t fantastic but he did a good job fantasy wise. If he continues to get the green light in terms of throwing the ball, expect Orton to continue to be a decent fantasy football starter.

RB Michael Pittman, Denver Broncos
Although the Broncos have mostly used a running back committee for much of the season, it appears as if Pittman may be winning the battle to become the lead back. In Week 6, Pittman got all of the team’s carries and had a very good game. From here on out, Pittman could be a top notch back — as long as he remains the starter.

WR Matt Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars usually don’t have very good fantasy football wide receivers, however Matt Jones is starting to look like a fantasy sleeper. He has easily been the most productive receiver on the Jaguars and he continues to improve week after week. He only has one touchdown so far this season, but with his size he could easily start become a weekly touchdown threat.

TE Marcedes Lewis, Jacksonville Jaguars
In the last two weeks, Marcedes Lewis has had touchdowns. He won’t get many looks on a weekly basis but Lewis is definitely a touchdown threat. With David Garrard getting more and more comfortable at the quarterback position, that bodes well for all his receiving targets.

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.

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.

QB Trent Green, St. Louis Rams
With Marc Bulger out of a starting quarterback job, Trent Green is the new man in charge. He has talent on his offensive unit so he may be able to shine.

RB Michael Pittman, Denver Broncos
For the third straight week Michael Pittman scored a touchdown. While the Broncos are using a three-headed monster at running back, Pittman is arguably the most valuable due to his goal line carries.

WR Brandon Lloyd, Chicago Bears
Although the Bears remain weak at wide receiver, Brandon Lloyd has emerged as their top wideout. He had a big week in Week 3 and should remain Chicago’s go-to guy.

TE Donald Lee, Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers seems to be getting more comfortable with using his tight end, which is good news for Donald Lee. He’s not a spectacular starter at this point but he should be solid.

Travis Henry, the skilled running back who last played for the Denver Broncos, has reportedly failed yet another drug test. Henry was released by the Broncos earlier in the offseason and now it looks like he’s in much bigger trouble.

According to the report, Henry tested positive for marijuana in May. Although he found out, he kept the information from the Broncos. A few weeks later, the Broncos waived him.

If this report is true, Henry’s NFL career is likely over. He all but certainly will get suspended for a year. Even if he is let back into the league, he’ll be on the other side of 30.

Henry, at his best, was a fantasy football power. Now if he’s on your fantasy football dynasty team, it’s safe to release him. He won’t be playing football anytime soon.

The Broncos will likely turn to Michael Pittman, Selvin Young, Mike Bell, Andre Hall or Ryan Torain at running back in 2008. Denver, like always, has plenty of options at that position — any of which could turn into a fantasy football stud.

Is Travis Henry’s career over?

Photo: Newscom

Travis Henry of the Denver Broncos was released on Monday. While the exact reasons weren’t revealed, it’s believed that Henry wasn’t being responsible with his workouts and rehabilitation from a hamstring injury.

This move has major fantasy football impact because Henry was slated to be the team’s starter. As a starter for the Broncos, Henry would have held a lot of value.

Depending on where Henry winds up, he could hold decent value or no value. It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Henry becomes more valuable since the Broncos were a perfect fit for his running style.

With Henry out of the picture, the Broncos have a lot of running backs to pick from when choosing the 2008 starter. The team recently signed Michael Pittman and he will be given a chance. Andre Hall, Selvin Young, Mike Bell and Ryan Torain are other options for Denver. Whoever wins the starting job will hold a lot of fantasy football value — as is almost always the case for the Broncos’ starting running back.

Photo: Newscom

The Denver Broncos added depth to their running back corps by signing free agent tailback Michael Pittman. Pittman played last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he had 286 yards on 68 carries.

The main reason the Broncos needed added depth was because projected starter Travis Henry is dealing with hamstring issues. Pittman will join other running backs Selvin Young, Andre Hall and Ryan Torain on Denver’s roster.

In fantasy football, Pittman would need to secure a starting or at least a backup job to be considered a draftable player. If he somehow wins the starting job, he’d suddenly become a player who’d be drafted in the top five rounds just because of the Broncos’ history of having very productive running backs. Even if he wins the backup job, Pittman would hold value since the other running backs on the roster are mostly injury prone.

The Broncos decided to sign Pittman after looking at free agent Shaun Alexander.

Photo: Newscom