Upgrades

DT Kris Jenkins, CAR: Even though he's one of the top defensive tackles in football, Kris Jenkins is often overshadowed by linemates Mike Rucker and Julius Peppers. That hasn't been the case of late, with Jenkings posting seven solo tackles and two sacks over the last two weeks while Peppers continues to resemble Sgt.Pepper more than the player who won Defensive Rookie of the Year a year ago.

DT Brian Young, STL: Young has taken full advantage of an ankle injury suffered by starting tackle Damione Lewis. Starting in place of Lewis, Young has posted seven solo tackles with 1.5 sacks over the past two weeks.

DE Patrick Kerney, ATL: A top 10 defensive lineman entering this year, Kerney had been useless through the seasons first eight games. He'll look to make a second half push, hoping to approach his 42 solo tackle/11 sack average from the last two years, and is off to a good start with six solo tackles and three sacks during the past two weeks.

DE Darren Howard, NO: A broken wrist during week one had washed away the first nine games for Howard, but he returned to the starting lineup on Sunday and performed well with three solo tackles and a sack. Look for this to continue down the stretch, which is great for Howard but unfortunate for Willie Whitehead, who now starts on the inside at defensive tackle. Whitehead will continue to get some snaps at defensive end on occasion, but not enough for him to keep up his first half success.

LB Marvin Jones, NYJ: Amid rumors of diminished playing time and possibly losing his starting job, Jones has been playing his best football of the year. Over the last four weeks, he's posted 28 solo tackles, including 16 during the last two.

LB David Thornton, IND: Thornton's game this week just may be what he needed to break out of his funk, and return to the 10 solo tackle per game performer that he was earlier in the year. His seven solos on Sunday were good, but when you see that it was 28% of the teams total, that makes it an outstanding performance.

LB Keith Bulluck, TEN: Bulluck burst onto the scene last year and became one of the seasons biggest surprises. Because of that, a decline in his numbers this year would not have been a bad bet. On the contrary. His eight solo tackle, one sack, one forced fumble performance this week puts him on pace to match or better his stats from a year ago across the board. And he's been consistent, to boot, recording five or more solo tackles in all but one game so far.

LB Na'il Diggs, GB: Diggs had been battling a knee injury and it showed as he posted just five solo tackles during weeks 5-9. Now, it appears that he may be rounding into shape with seven solos in each of the last two games, looking more like the player who started the season.

LB Dan Morgan, CAR: Dan Morgan has remained healthy for two straight games. That's an upgrade in itself. An unquestioned talent, if he can remain on the field he should be a very strong option at linebacker down the stretch. He gave us a glimpse of that potential with seven solo tackles on Sunday, and he says that he's 100% (whatever that's worth).

LB Chris Draft, ATL: Draft extended his streak this week to six consecutive games in which he's recorded seven or more solo tackles. With numbers like that, we can overlook the fact that he has but one sack on the year.

S Eric Brown, HOU: Brown continues to produce tackles on a consistent basis, posting five or more solos for five straight weeks. Teammate Marlon McCree hasn't been half bad either with 14 solo tackles over the past three weeks.

S Greg Wesley, KC: Wesley started the season on a roller coaster but has been playing very well over the last month-plus. Just in the last two weeks he's picked up 11 solo tackles, a sack and an interception, rasing his tackle total to 33 solos over the past six weeks.

S Brian Dawkins, PHI: Like Darren Howard, Dawkins made his return on Sunday from a week one injury and looked like he hadn't skipped a beat with five solo tackles and two passes defended. If his foot checks out during the week, he should regain his status as a semi-stud defensive back and be a very solid option during the second half of the year.

CB Champ Bailey, WAS: Bailey doesn't get picked on near enough to post the interceptions and passes defended to make him an elite fantasy defensive back, but he does give us better than average tackle numbers for a cornerback, and fairly consistent numbers at that. He's picked up five or more solo tackles in six of ten games this year, including each of the last two.

CB Charles Tillman, CHI: Tillman has flourished since taking over as a starter. He is a rookie, and you see that in his inconsistency, but when he's good...he's really good. In the last four games, he's posted eight or more solo tackles twice, and he's picked off a pass in three of the four.

Downgrades

DE Courtney Brown, CLE: Just when you thought that Courtney Brown was going to give Shaun Ellis some competition for Comeback Slug of the Year, Brown goes into hybernation. After picking up a sack in six of the years first seven games, he's gone three games without and has added just four solo tackles during those three games.

DE Adrian Dingle, SD: You look at the depth chart and it shows Adrian Dingle as the Chargers starting defensive end. You check the boxscore, and you see that he started. You check the stat sheet and he's nowhere to be found. What gives? He's contributed absolutely nothing in three of the past five games and has become much too big of a risk for our purposes.

DE Robert Porcher, DET: AP - "Detroit defensive end Robert Porcher thinks Emmitt Smith made a mistake by not retiring after last season." This coming from a guy who's started nine games this year with just 17 solo tackles and a half sack to show for it. Once Kalimba Edwards works himself into shape, which should be soon, he'll join James Hall in the starting lineup.

DE Michael Strahan, NYG: Strahan's recent streak of six consecutive games with at least one sack covered up the fact that he had not been tackling well of late. On Sunday, he was held without a sack and exposed with just one solo tackle (six over the past three games).

DE Tony Brackens, JAC: Early on, it looked as if Brackens may be returning to his all-pro form from a couple of years ago, but his performance over the last month has put that speculation to rest. During the past four games, he's posted just five solo tackles without a sack.

LB Ed Hartwell, BAL: Last year, during his breakout season, Hartwell posted six or more solo tackles in ten of 16 games. This year, with a healthy Ray Lewis back in the lineup, just once (week one). His numbers thus far have made him a very week option in most leagues, and a bust to those who for the most part.

LB Warrick Holdman, CHI: Holdman was playing like a man possessed during the seasons first four games, averaging 7.5 solo tackles per game and picking up under eight only once, but an ankle injury forced him to miss three games and he hasn't been the same since. He's picked up just seven solo tackles, total, over the last three games.

LB Ronald McKinnon, ARI: For a while there, McKinnon was displaying the form that made him one of the top fantasy linebackers from 99-01, but he's since returned to his unproductive ways and has averaged just four solo tackles over the last four games.

LB Derrick Brooks, TB: Ten solo tackles over three weeks. Fifteen solo tackles over four weeks. These are the type of stretches that we're not used to seeing from Derrick Brooks, but this is what he's become. It started last year, when his fantasy value was inflated by four touchdowns, and it's continued into 03 as he's on pace for the lowest tackle output of his career.

S Mike Doss, IND: Doss has been terribly inconsistent of late, posting under five solo tackles in four of the last five games, but it's obvious that the rookie has better days ahead.

S Antuan Edwards, GB: Edwards is healthy, which has been the major issue throughout his career, but he hasn't been performing well. With four solo tackles over the last two games, Marques Anderson is just a shoulder tap away. Anderson wouldn't keep the job anyhow, falling asleep during the seasons final four games, giving way for Edwards to start next year.

S Jerome Woods, KC: Unlike Greg Wesley, Jerome Woods has yet to find his consistency this year. Actually, he has been consistently bad, posting over three solo tackles just twice through ten games.