Upgrades

DL Bertrand Berry, ARI: Berry's solo tackle numbers have been very inconsistent this year, but he has provided the pass rush that the Cards were looking for when they signed him as a free-agent this past offseason. He's picked up at least one sack in each of the last four games, 11 on the year, to go with 32 solo tackles.

DL Anthony Adams, SF: Adams, a rookie defensive tackle, has put up some very impressive numbers over the last month or so. He picked up a career high seven solo tackles on Sunday, making it three of the past five games that he's posted at least five solos.

DLs Simeon Rice and DeWayne White, TB: Over the last four games Rice has posted 11 solo tackles with four sacks, White has posted eight solos with 3.5 sacks. They both been playing well of late, although we'd like to see Rice's tackle total a little higher. White has actually picked up at least a partial sack in six straight games.

DL Patrick Kerney, ATL: Kerney looks to be back on a roll after taking the month of October off. He started the season on fire, picking up 23 solo tackles and seven sacks through the first four games. The next set of four saw him post just nine solos without a sack, but he picked it back up with 17 solo tackles and three sacks over the last four weeks.

DL Kevin Williams, MIN: Was it possible for Williams to play primarily at the under-tackle position and produce similar numbers to those that he posted during his rookie season as an end/tackle swing? Through 12 weeks, Kevin Williams has surpassed his solo tackle numbers from a year ago (39-37) and, with a two-sack performance this past weekend, is well on his way to surpassing his sack total (9-10.5).

DL Adewale Ogunleye, CHI: Now he's playing like the guy we remember lining up next to Jason Taylor for the past two seasons. Wale has picked up 10 solo tackles and 4.5 sacks over the last four weeks after picking up just one sack during the first six games.

LB Ian Gold, TB: What's going on here? Could Ian Gold actually become a factor after muddling through the first two months of the season? He picked up six solo tackles on Sunday, his second game out of the last three where he's posted at least that many.

LB Barry Gardner, CLE: Gardner didn't have a huge game on Sunday, picking up just three solo tackles (seven total), but he deserves an upgrade for taking over the MLB spot from the injured Andra Davis (IR). Davis had been playing very well before tearing his MCL, averaging over six solo tackles per game during the past six games, so if Gardner can come in and post similar numbers he'll be a decent fantasy performer down the stretch. He's shown the ability to give us five solos with some playmaking ability in the past.

LB Brian Urlacher, CHI: Usually six solo tackles with a sack and a pick wouldn't make much noise next to Brian Urlacher's name in the boxscore, but this year has been much different. We're happy to just see him back on the field, performing like the All-Pro that we've grown accustomed to, hopefully avoiding the leg injuries that he's suffered through most of the year.

LB Brian Simmons, CIN: Brian Simmons is playing his best football over the past three seasons, picking up 21 solo tackles over the last three games. He's had an up and down year, but Simmons is on pace to surpass all of his numbers from a year ago and looks to be heating up at just the right time.

LB Carlos Emmons, NYG: Carlos Emmons is very highly regarded on the field of play, but that hasn't translated over very well into the boxscore. He's never been considered a stud fantasy linebacker. That won't change anytime soon, but it doesn't mean that he can't go through hot stretches like the last three games when he's posted a total of 21 solo tackles.

LB Rob Morris, IND: Morris went three games without recording a single solo tackle, but over the last two games he's posted seven solos and a sack in each. He's always been a very frustrating fantasy performer because of inconsistent production like this. The 14 solo tackles that he's picked up over the last two weeks is his best stretch since the end of the 2002 season when he averaged just about seven solos during the final six games.

LB Donnie Edwards, SD: Before Sunday, Donnie Edwards was on pace to post under 100 solo tackles for the first time since 2001. Now, he's on pace for 110. Why the sudden change? That's what a 14 solo tackle performance will do for your projected pace. He's had an up and down year as an ILB in San Diego's 3-4 defense, certainly not the playmaker that he's been in past years, but it's days like this that help him retain his status as one of the games best linebackers.

DB Robert Griffith, CLE: Griffith stumbled last week, picking up only three solo tackles against the Bengals, but he's surrounded that performance with three games of 7+ solos. He's quietly put together a very solid campaign, on pace to set a career high with 95 solo tackles.

DB Charles Tillman, CHI: "Peanut" returned to the starting lineup this week after missing much of the year with a knee injury. He finished off last year, his rookie season, with 45 solo tackles over the final seven games and, with 19 solos on the three games that he's played in 2004, appears not to have missed a beat.

DB Dwaine Carpenter, SF: Coming into the season, Carpenter was in a battle with Ronnie Heard for the starting free safety job. Heard won out, leaving Carpenter in a reserve DB role for much of the year. With the injuries that the 'Niners have suffered at cornerback, Carpenter has been forced into the starting lineup on the outside and he's been performing very well. In four starts, he's picked up 23 solo tackles with one sack.

DB Dunta Robinson, HOU: Through the first nine games of the year, Dunta Robinson was performing like a rookie cornerback (averaging three solo tackles per game with two interceptions). Lately, he's looked more like seasoned stud than a rookie learning on the job. Over the last three games, he's picked up 23 solo tackles with two picks and seven passes defended.

DB David Barrett, NYJ: David Barrett's no stud cover cornerback, but he is a pretty good "system" back who has enough size and experience to succeed in Herm Edwards' cover-2 defense. He's been playing especially well over the last four games, picking up five solo tackles in three of those with his first two picks of the year over the last two.

DB Terrence McGee, BUF: McGee has been a fantasy machine over the last three weeks, posting 19 solo tackles with a sack, three interceptions and six passes defended. This past weekend he also added his third touchdown of the year on a 104 yard kickoff return. He's played so well that the Bills will move Troy Vincent to free safety when he returns from injury.

Downgrades

DL Ebenezer Ekuban, CLE: Ekuban was playing very well during the early stages of the season, filling in for the injured Courtney Brown and posting five sacks through eight games, but he's hit a serious wall with just two solo tackles over the last month (zero sacks).

LB Teddy Lehman, DET: This kid has a boatload of talent and a very bright future ahead of him, likely as a starter in the middle for Detroit, but his consistency has taken a dive of late. He's posted three or fewer solo tackle in three of the past five games and has yet to record a sack or pick during his rookie season.

LB Hunter Hillenmeyer, CHI: With Brian Urlacher back in the lineup, Hillenmeyer returns to his spot as the Bears starting SLB. He was a slight surprise while filling in at MLB, averaging over five solo tackles per game, but he hasn't shown to be near as productive from the strongside. The two solo tackles that he gave is this past weekend are closer to the norm of what to expect from here on out.

LB Keith Brooking, ATL: Just as switching back to a 4-3 front has helped Patrick Kerney re-find his stud-ism, it seems to have taken Keith Brooking's away. Lining up on the outside instead of in the middle may also have a lot to do with that. After averaging almost 7.5 solo tackles per game through the 02-03 seasons as an inside 'backer in Atlanta's 3-4 defense, he's played primarily on the weakside this year and has given us just over five solos a game. He hasn't picked up over five solos in a game since Halloween.

LB Jay Foreman, HOU: Jay Foreman exploded for 10 solo tackles a month ago, leading us to hope that he was breaking out of his funk. He's had some very nice games this year, but overall his inconsistency has been disappointing. We should've known that those 10 solo tackles would not become the norm as he's picked up just 12 more over the last three games, leaving it very unlikely that he'll match the 101 solos that he's posted over the last two seasons. It'll be even harder for him to match those totals now that he's lost for the year with an ankle injury.

LB Ben Leber, SD: Leber's production this year has come nowhere close the expectations set forth when the season began. He's been a fantasy non-factor for much of the year, highlighted by his recent stretch of 10 solo tackles over five games.

DB Eugene Wilson, NE: With Ty Law and Tyrone Poole out, Eugene Wilson has started the last two games at cornerback (regarded as his eventual/natural position), leaving him even less productive than he was when starting at free safety. He's picked up just eight solo tackles over the last four games after averaging close to 5.5 during the first eight weeks.

DB John Howell, TB: When Jermaine Phillips was lost with an arm injury, John Howell stepped in as the Bucs starting strong safety. That was three games ago and he's given us just six solo tackles.

DB Sammy Knight, MIA: The sun appears to be setting on the career of one of the best fantasy DBs of the last decade. Sammy Knight was held without a solo tackle on Sunday, leaving with just nine over the last four games. He's on pace to be held under 50 solos for the first time in his eight year career and his one interception would tie a career low.

DB Mike Doss, IND: Mike Doss teased us with eight solo tackles and a sack on Halloween, but he's come nowhere close to matching that production since. Over the last three games he's posted just four solo tackles.