Upgrades

DEs Michael Strahan and Kenny Holmes, NYG: These guys have been incredible of late, especially Strahan who's picked up 21 solo tackles with seven sacks over the last four games. Hopefully you didn't make any rash decisions because of his slow start. Holmes' numbers haven't been as impressive, but he's been held without a sack in only two of seven games.

DE Leonard Little, STL: While Little is not tackling as well as he was earlier in the year, his big plays have remained consistent. He's recorded a sack in six of the seven games this year and picked off an interception during the lone game that he was held without.

DE Mike Rucker, CAR: He took a couple of games off during weeks five and six, but he's back on track with 11 solo tackles and three sacks over the last two games. He's now tied with Simeon Rice, both with eight sacks, behind only Shaun Ellis (nine) for the league lead.

DE Shaun Ellis, NYJ: Dating back to last season, Ellis has recorded a sack in ten consecutive games and he's tied an NFL record by opening the season with a sack in seven consecutive games.

DE ND Kalu, PHI: It's about time. It took him a while to adjust to his starting role, but he's heating up and has recorded eight solo tackles with 2.5 sacks over the last two weeks.

DE Adewale Ogunleye, MIA: Ogunleye now has five sacks over the last three games after picking up two on Monday night. His season total of seven makes his early season struggles seem like a distant memory.

LB Mark Simoneau, PHI: A slow start this year had us questioning whether Simoneau was up the task in Philadelphia, but he's quieted the doubters during the last month with 29 solo tackles two sacks over the last four games.

LB Dat Nguyen, DAL: Nguyen posted his best game of the year this past weekend with 15 tackles (12 solo), giving him 42 solo tackles through seven games. Since week ones two solo tackle performance, he's posted six straight games with five or more.

LB Ben Taylor, CLE: Early in the season, Taylor's play was overshadowed by the emergence of Andra Davis, but while Davis' numbers have tailed off, Taylor has remained very productive. It all culminated this weekend with an 18 tackle (16 solo) performance against the Patriots, giving him 35 solo tackles over the last four games. Kevin Bentley also deserves an upgrade for posting his best two games of the year over the last two weeks (combined 24 tackles, 15 solo).

LB Earl Holmes, DET: The name of Holmes' game has always been consistency, and that's just what he's provided over the last month. He's posted five or more solo tackles in four straight games, raising his team leading total to 37 solos on the year.

LB Jashon Sykes, DEN: Ian Gold has been gone for two games now, and Sykes has produced well as his replacement. Nothing spectacular, but it looks like he'll make a nice bye/injury filler with 14 tackles (8 solo) over those two weeks.

LB Scott Fujita, KC: Fujita is officially on fire, posting 34 tackles (29 solo) with three sacks over the last three weeks.

CB Ronde Barber, TB: As one of the few cornerbacks in the league who receives mention fantasy wise (along with safeties), Barber has been playing very well. He's picked up five or more solo tackles in each of the last five games while chipping in two interceptions, a sack, and three forced fumbles.

CB Nick Harper, IND: The interceptions have stopped, he hasn't picked off a pass after recording three interceptions during the first two weeks, but he's producing tackles like no other cornerback in the league. With a season high nine solo tackles on Sunday, he now has 41 for the year, and hasn't posted less than four in any game.

CB DeWayne Washington, PIT: Washington hasn't done much in the passing game, his trademark passes defended/interceptions have been absent, but he's given us solid tackle production with five solos in each of the last three games, and five or more in five of seven games.

S Rodney Harrison, NE: While Harrison's solo/assist ratio isn't quite where we'd like it to be, he's still posted nine or more tackles over the last four games (42 total, 28 of which have been solo). If you're lucky enough to have him in a league which scores tackles evenly, he's been incredible. Otherwise, it's been an up & down season so far.

Downgrades

DE Kevin Carter, TEN: After picking up nine solo tackles and four sacks over the seasons first four games, he disappeared over the last four. He didn't show up in this weeks boxscore at all and has just five solo tackles with a sack during the previous three games.

DE Alex Brown, CHI: Brown's 3.5 solo tackles per game are very respectable for a defensive lineman, but he hasn't sniffed the quarterback since his two sack performance in week two.

DE Vonnie Holliday, KC: Another day at the office for Holliday, posting one solo tackle on Sunday night. He now has just six solo tackles and one sack over the last seven games.

DE Chike Okeafor, SEA: After posting his best game of the season during week six against the 49ers (seven total tackles, one sack), he's fallen into a funk. He's combined for just two solo tackles without a sack over the last two games.

DE Duane Clemons, CIN: The hot waiver acquisition for week five, after he picked up seven solo tackles and three sacks against Buffalo, he's been a disappointment with just a single solo tackle in each of the last two games.

DE Andre Carter, SF: Carter has spread around his 3.5 sacks this year, to the point where he's flown below the "bust" radar. Even after his best tackle game of the year (three solos), he's on pace for just 26 solo tackles and seven sacks, falling well short of the 44/12 that he posted last year.

LB Pisa Tinoisamoa, STL: Early on, with 15 solo tackles through the first three games, it looked like Tionoisamoa would break the unproductive trend that Robert Thomas set last year as the Rams starting strongside linebacker. He's fallen in line since with just 14 solos over the last five games.

LB Andra Davis, CLE: Davis still leads the Browns in tackles, with 48 solos, but he's been in a slump over the last month. After posting 27 solo tackles over the first three games, he's picked up just 22 over the last five. He's given way to Ben Taylor as the Browns most productive linebacker, for the time being.

LB Orlando Ruff, NO: Ruff was handed the starting middle linebacker job in New Orleans four weeks ago, and performed well with nine solo tackles. In the three games since, he's totaled nine solo tackles. He's not active in either the passing game or as a pass rusher, which leaves him with little value.

LB Kevin Hardy, CIN: Each week, you tell yourself that this cannot continue, but each week we're left waiting for Hardy to wake up. At this point, with 22 solo tackles through seven games, he has to be considered one of the biggest free agent busts of the year (along with Hugh Douglas and Mike Peterson in Jacksonville).

LB Brian Urlacher, CHI: He leads the team in tackles and he's picked up 1.5 sacks. Ordinarilly, this would be a nice first half of the season for a linebacker. Well, we all know that Urlacher is no ordinary linebacker...until now. After averaging 6.5 solo tackles during his first three years in the league (7.5 last year), that number has dipped to 5.5 in 03.

LB Terrell Suggs, BAL: The honeymoon is officially over. After picking up sacks in each of his first four career games, he's been held without over the last three, posting just two solo tackles over that span.

S Roy Williams, DAL: An unfortunate trend, through seven games this year Williams has posted over four solo tackles just once, a feat that he accomplished 10 times during his spectacular rookie season.

S Deon Grant, CAR: Grant had us excited when he wrapped 21 tackles (17 solo) around his week three bye, but he's picked up only 11 solos in the four games since.

S Brian Russell, MIN: We knew it would happen, just not this drastic. In the first game of the year that Russell doesn't record an interception, he disappears from the boxscore completely. With only 21 solo tackles through seven games, he's not going to give you much value without the big play.

S Tank Williams, TEN: Just when we thought that Williams had broken out (14 solo tackles during weeks 5/6), he posts consecutive zero solo tackle games. Even last year, his rookie season, there was only one game in which he didn't pick up a solo tackle.

S Sam Brandon, DEN: It just doesn't look like Brandon is a big playmaker in his second year. He's picked up 12 solo tackles over the last five games (including one this week) and just five passes defended on the year.