Upgrades

DE JeVon Kearse, TEN: Kearse put together his most complete game of the season this week with four solo tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. He's picked up a sack in six straight games and has forced a fumble in four of the last five.

DE Anthony Weaver, BAL: With 14 solo tackles and five sacks over the last four games, Weaver done broke out. He's a different player than the guy who posted just two solo tackles without a sack over the seasons first four games.

LB Peter Boulware, BAL: Like Weaver, it took Boulware a few games to wake up this year, but he's picked up a sack in four straight games, along with 15 solo tackles and two forced fumbles, and will look to make a second half push towards double digits.

LB Jason Gildon, PIT: Last year, Jason Gildon picked up two sacks during the first half of the season and eight during the second half. This year, once again, Gildon posted two sacks through the first eight games and his three sack performance on Sunday puts him well on the way to another second half explosion. The three sacks made him Pittsburgh's all-time sack leader and his eight solo tackles were more than he picked up in the previous three games combined.

LB Chris Draft, ATL: Draft recorded 12 solo tackles with a sack on Sunday, leaving him with 28 solos over the last three games and five straight games with at least seven. He's posting the numbers that we were accustomed to seeing from Keith Brooking.

LB Andra Davis, CLE: He's back (we hope). After taking a couple of weeks off, and picking up just 16 solo tackles during weeks 5-8, he came out Sunday and registered 11 solo tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble and a pass defended, looking like the player who took the league by storm to start the year. It's just one game, but hopefully he can build on this performance to end the year strongly.

LB Boss Bailey, DET: Bailey played like a rookie during the first month of the year and picked up a total of 10 solo tackles through the seasons first four games. Since then, he's played very well, and has become a solid fantasy option. Over the last three games he's registered 19 solo tackles and 1.5 sacks.

LB Scott Fujita, KC: Fujita continues to produce from the strongside in Kansas City and has become one of this years better success stories. He started off relatively slow with 21 solo tackles through the first five games, but since then he's been on a roll. Since week six, he's picked up 37 solo tackles in four games, including three sacks.

LB Ben Leber, SD: If you're looking for a consistent option at linebacker, Leber has been just that. He hasn't had a breakout game this year, but he has picked up five solo tackles in each of the last four games.

LB Lance Briggs, CHI: It's a trend. Although he doesn't provide the all-around production that Brian Urlacher does (did), he has taken over as the Bears leading tackler. He's posted 21 solo tackles over the last three games and, with Holdman and Urlacher struggling, looks like the Chicago linebacker to have down the stretch.

LB Dat Nguyen, DAL: When Bill Parcell's took over in Dallas, there was talk that it signified the end of Nguyen's starting job at middle linebacker. He doesn't possess prototypical size for the position while Parcell's prefers bigger linebackers. Well, all Nguyen has done is come out and lead the team in tackles, posting five or more solos in each game since week one (52 total), and help Dallas to a top three ranking in rush defense.

S Ken Hamlin, SEA: After playing sparingly during week nine, nursing an injured foot, he returned to the started lineup and registered his normal seven solo tackles. For a rookie Hamlin has been very consistent this season, picking up five or more solo tackles in every game except for week nine. During his eight starts, he's averaging over six solo tackles per game.

S Michael Lewis, PHI: I try to stay away from single game upgrades, but Lewis looked incredible in primetime on Monday night. He's been in a slump, and considered a bust to this point (29 solo tackles, one sack, one pick through eight games), but he posted nine solo tackles with a sack, forced fumble and funble recovery, possibly having his breakout game.

S Ifeanyi Ohalete, WAS: Ohalete blew up this week with 11 solo tackles, making it three straight weeks in which he's turned in a solid performance, totaling 23 solo tackles with an interception over that span.

S Shaun Williams, NYG: It looks like Williams' potential is starting to show. For a guy that's annually regarded as a top 10 safety, he's been a classic underachiever. That is, until now. Over the last three games, Williams has picked up 20 solo tackles along with his lone interception.

S Eric Brown, HOU: Brown has posted 27 solo tackles over the last four games with at least six in each game. He doesn't fill up the boxscore, inactive in the passing game and as a pass rusher, but his consistent tackle numbers make for a very nice fantasy option.

S Terrence Kiel, SD: Kiel hasn't made his way into the starting lineup, yet, but he has been performing like a starter of late. He's picked up an interception in two of the last four games, recording at least four solo tackles in three of the four. Jerry Wilson, the guy whose job Kiel is trying to take, has also been playing well (17 solo tackles over the last three games), but we still believe that Kiel will become a full-time starter eventually.

CB Deshea Townsend, PIT: Townsend started his first game of the year on Sunday, replacing DeWayne Washington, and filled up the boxscore with seven solo tackles, a sack, two passes defended and a forced fumble.

CB Nick Harper, IND: Harper extended his streak to five games on Sunday in which he's registered five or more solo tackles. Over those five games, he has a total of 32 solos.

CB Rashean Mathis, JAC: It's not supposed to happen this way. After starting the first seven games of the year at safety, Mathis was moved to corner to fill in for the injured Jason Craft. Since the move, he's posted his best two games of the year (14 solo tackles, two passes defended) and is now entrenched as the starting corner even when Craft returns.

Downgrades

DE Kevin Carter, TEN: Kearse's emergence has led to the disappearance of Kevin Carter. After picking up a sack in each of the seasons first four games, he's recorded just one since, along with five solo tackles over the last five games.

DE Calvin Pace, ARI: Just when it looked like the Cardinals had finally found a pass rush...After picking up six solo tackles with a sack during week eight, Pace has totaled just two solos since.

DE Courtney Brown, CLE: Now this is the Courtney Brown that we remember. After looking like he made a Shaun Ellis-type turnaround, Brown has regressed with just a single solo tackle in each of the last two games.

DE's Vonnie Holliday, KC & Hugh Douglas, JAC: What happened to these guys? They started off the season well enough but have since disappeared. Neither has been worthy of a roster spot since very strong opening game performances.

DE Julius Peppers, CAR: Peppers continues to struggle with just eight solo tackles over the last three games and two sacks on the year. His loss has been Mike Rucker's gain. With six sacks in the last four games, Rucker has 11 overall and is on pace to approach 20 for the year.

DE Adrian Dingle, SD: Dingle has been too inconsistent for my taste. He's wrapped two goose eggs around a six solo tackle, one sack week nine performance. He has the chance to be a really good player in San Diego, but he has to bring it on a weekly basis.

DE Shaun Ellis, NYJ: After tying a record with a sack in each of the seasons first seven games (nine total sacks), and picking up near linebacker-type tackle numbers along the way, Ellis has began to struggle without John Abraham in the lineup. He has just three solo tackles over the last two weeks, including two this week when the Jets as a team recorded an astounding 67 solos. Until Abraham returns to the lineup, Ellis' struggle should continue. Abraham has already been listed as out for week 11.

LB David Thornton, IND: The top linebacker in the game through week six, Thornton has fallen to earth. After averaging 10 solo tackles per game from weeks 2-6, he's picked up just 11 total over the last three games.

LB Randall Godfrey, SEA: While he may be helping the Seahawks run defense, ranked 17th through week nine after finishing last year 28th, he has been a bust in fantasy circles. He's posted over five solo tackles once this year and has just one in each of the last three games.

LB Antwan Peek, HOU: A rookie linebacker full of potential, his skillset seems tailor made for the outside linebacker spot in the Texans 3-4 defense. He's gotten a chance to show off those skills while filling for Charlie Clemons, but hasn't taken advantage. A starter for the last three games, Peek has just eight solo tackles without a sack. A dislocated toe may have Peek out of action for a while.

LBs Brandon Short & Dhani Jones, NYG: These guys have been the picture of inconsistency this year, looking like Pro-Bowlers one week and Brian Urlacher the next. Over the last three games they've combined for 26 solo tackles, 16 of which came during week nine.

LB Takeo Spikes, BUF: Spikes picked up a sack and two interceptions during his first two games with Buffalo, but it's gone downhill from there. Since week two, he's averaged just 3.7 solo tackles per game and has yet to record another sack or pick.

S Mike Brown, CHI: As good as Brown is on and off the field, he stinks as a fantasy performer. He's on pace for a career low 52 solo tackles this year (72 last year) and has picked up over five just once. This after he signed a five year, $17.5 million contract extension during the offseason.

CB Jeff Burris, CIN: Since his week five near-neck injury, Burris hasn't been the same. Before that, he had posted 23 solo tackles in four games, at least three in each game with a season high 11 during week three. In the four games since, he has a total of just four solo tackles, possibly suffering the affects of a week nine concussion during the last two games.