Upgrades

• DE Aaron Schobel, BUF: With six sacks and 11 solo tackles over the last three games, Schobel is on fire. With two games remaining, he's set a career in sacks with 10.5 and will likely surpass his career high of 36 solo tackles this week when Miami comes to town.



• DE Darren Howard, NO: Howard continues to roll since he's returned from a broken wrist. He's picked up five solo tackles in three of the last four games and four sacks over the last five. Very solid production from the defensive line.



• DE Kenard Lang, CLE: Lang has posted 14 solo tackles and four sacks over the last three games. Linemate Gerard Warren has also been paying well with 10 solos and four sacks over the last three. Who needs Courtney Brown when you've got these two causing havoc?



• DE Julius Peppers, CAR: Two straight games with a sack, three in the last four games. Hopefully he's saved the best for last.



• LB Mike Peterson, JAC: While not coming close to the production that we expected, Peterson has been effective over the last few weeks. With eight solo tackles and a sack on Sunday, that makes it four stright games in which he's posted a sack, forced fumble, or an interception.



• LB Michael Barrow, NYG: The usually inconsistent Barrow has been anything but lately, picking up at least seven solo tackles in each of the last four games (33 total). Teammate Dhani Jones has also been playing well with 19 solos over the last three games, at least six in each.



• LBs Shawn Barber & Scott Fujita, KC: Against a Lions team that was dead last in the league in terms of solo tackles allowed, the Chiefs linebacker duo combined to squeeze out 14. Although Fujita's hit a couple of bumps lately, and hasn't recorded a sack since week seven, they've remained very steady fantasy performers.



• LB Keith Brooking, ATL: Heating up at just the right time, Brooking has posted 10 or more solo tackles in three of the last five games, totaling 50 over that span. A big difference from the first half, when he posted 51 solos over the first nine games.



• LB Jeff Ulbrich, SF: He doesn't Julian Peterson's upside or Derek Smith's track record, and we've been waiting two years now for Jamie Winborn to take his job, but he's been the most consistent of the San Francisco linebackers of late. He's posted five or more solo tackles in five of the last six games, picking up 1.5 sacks along the way.



• LB Kendrell Bell, PIT: Bell posted just 29 solo tackles during the first seven games while he recovered from a gunshot wound. He's posted 45 over the last seven with at least five in each game.



• LB D.D.Lewis, SEA: Seattle's resident fill-in linebacker, Lewis starts when either Chad Brown or Anthony Simmons can't go. Recently, that's been quite often. With 19 solo tackles over his last three appearances, including seven on Sunday in place of Simmons, he's definitely making a name for himself.



• LB Nick Barnett, GB: He's trying to get back on track, and Sunday's performance may do just that. The eight solo tackles that Barnett posted this week are the most that he's picked up since posting 11 during week five.



• LB Brian Allen, CAR: With Dan Morgan inactive during the last two games, Allen has stepped into the starting lineup and posted 11 solo tackles. With Dan Morgan's health in question, Allen will be given every chance to perform during the next two games as the Panthers weakside linebacker.



• LB Jeremiah Trotter, WAS: Not many have been better than Trotter over the last three games as he's posted 27 solo tackles with two sacks and three passes defended, easily the best stretch during his two years in Washington.



• CB Terrell Roberts, CIN: With the Bengals struggling to find healthy cornerbacks, they turned to rookie Terrell Roberts this weekend. Nine solo tackles, a sack and a forced fumble later, we may be on to something.



• CB Charles Tillman, CHI: A weekly staple in my upgrades, Tillman continues to have a very impressive rookie season. Being a rookie, and a cornerback, the inconsistency is expected, but the 34 solo tackles, sack and two interceptions over the last five games are not. During three of those five games, he posted nine solo tackles.



• CB Phillip Buchanon, OAK: In his second year, he's still learning how to play cornerback in the NFL, but Buchanon's been exciting to watch. He's picked up five interceptions over the last seven games, Terrell Buckley type big play numbers.



• CB David Barrett, ARI: Barrett has posted 20 solo tackles over the last three games (7, 7, 6) and is now one shy of his career high.



• CB Terrence Newman, DAL: The only thing missing from Newman's tremendous rookie season had been interceptions, as he picked up one during week two and was held without during the next 11 games. Well, he took care of that on Sunday with three picks of Redskins QB Tim Hasselbeck. He now has four interceptions and 19 passes defended (among the league leaders) on the year.



• S Bryan Scott, ATL: A future star, Scott has produced very well since taking over as a starter. He's picked up 24 solo tackles with two forced fumbles over the last four games.



• S Bracey Walker, DET: With Corey Harris done for the year, Walker stepped in as the starting strong safety this week and posted seven solo tackles, his highest output in years. He definitely holds value as the starter, but the Lions may give rookie Terrence Holt a look during the final couple of weeks. Holt had three solo tackles on Sunday.



• S Marques Anderson, GB: Anderson has picked up 17 solo tackles (6,5,6) in the three games since taking over for Antuan Edwards as the Packers starting strong safety.

Downgrades

• DE Hugh Douglas, JAC: After looking like he was going to breakout with three sacks during weeks 12-13, he's returned to providing nothing. He's posted two solo tackles without a sack over the last three weeks, including being shut out completely during two of those games.



• DE Dwight Freeney, IND: Freeney recovered a fumble on Sunday but was held without a single tackle. Unfortunately, this has become a trend and, while the sacks are nice (11 on the year), he'll come nowhere close to the 45 solos that he picked up as a rookie (on pace for just 33).



• DE Trevor Pryce, DEN: Pryce has one (1, uno) solo tackle over the last three games. And that one tackle was not of the quarterback. Needless to say, that's horrible.



• DE Shaun Ellis, NYJ: Finally feeling the affects of John Abraham's absence, Ellis has gone three games without a sack, posting eight solo tackles, and has just 16 tackles with two sacks since week nine (six games). The clock has struck midnight on Ellis' Cinderella season. Abraham's replacement, Bryan Thomas, hasn't done much with 17 solo tackles (no sacks) since week nine.



• LB Peter Sirmon, TEN: Sirmon has fallen short of expectations this year both in tackles and in the big plays that were a staple a year ago. He hasn't been able to get over the hump, recording 20 solo tackles over the last four games, and has yet to pick up either a sack or interception (two sacks, three picks in '02).



• LB Barrett Green, DET: Will we ever see Green's potential pay off, more than just a game or two per season? He's posted under five tackles more often than not and is a non-factor in the passing game. His nine solo tackles over the last three games should have him planted firmly on your bench. But dont' worry, the hype machine will once again be in full force for next year.



• LB Derrick Brooks, TB: Ten solo tackles with a sack and forced fumble a week ago, one solo tackle this week. That's the kind of season it's been for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, who's now on pace to end the season with 75 solo tackles (averaged 109 from 96-02).



• LB Jamie Duncan, STL: Don't be fooled. Just because he's filling in for Robert Thomas doesn't mean that you'll get Thomas-type production. As a starter in '02, he posted just three games with over four solo tackles. The two that he recorded this week are about as much as we can hope for.



• LB Jason Gildon, PIT: Gildon's second half explosion hasn't materialized as expected and he's posted just five solo tackles over the last three games without a sack.



• LB Tim Johnson, OAK: When you see T.Johnson with only one solo tackle in Oakland's boxscore, it has to be Teyo...right? Not the case here. After posting 15 solos in his first two games as a starter, he was nearly shut out against Jamal Lewis and the Ravens. Napoleon Harris didn't fare much better with four solo tackles, although he did force a crucial fumble. Current news has Harris possibly remaining on the outside fulltime to take better advantage of his speed. Something to look forward to next year.



• S Jay Bellamy, NO: The Saints leader in solo tackles, until Sunday night game, he's been very inconsistent of late and lacks the big plays that we've come to expect. He's posted three or fewer solo tackles in four of the last six games with one interception on the year, no sacks.



• S Bobby Gray, CHI: Starting the last four games in place of Mike Green, you may have expected Mike Green type tackle numbers. It hasn't happened as he's posted just 17 solos, but he did pick up a sack.



• S Ed Reed, BAL: For a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, Reed sure does disappear a lot. With eight solo tackles and two passes defended over the last three games, he's undoubtedly burnt quite a few of us. And it's not his worst stretch of the year.