Upgrades

DL Marques Douglas, BAL: This little known defensive end from Baltimore had a great season a year ago, posting 52 solo tackles and 4.5 sacks, but he still was overlooked in many drafts entering the year (a preseason elbow injury had him off to a late start). With 10 solo tackles and a sack over the last two weeks, he looks well on his way to a repeat performance.

DL Patrick Kerney, ATL: You think Patrick Kerney is happy that the Falcons turned back to a 4-3 defense? With 11 solo tackles and five sacks over the past two weeks, he's on pace to double last years production (34 solos, 6.5 sacks).

DL Charles Grant, NO: One of the best young defensive ends in the league, Grant had worked his way to a top five reputation and showed us why this past weekend with a three sack performance at St.Louis. He now has 15 solo tackles and four sacks through three games.

DL Ebenezer Ekuban, CLE: Filling in for Courtney Brown over the last two weeks, Ebenezer Ekuban has picked up eight solo tackles with a sack in each game. Brown is done for the year with a foot injury, leaving Ekuban with a solid opportunity to continue producing a a solid fantasy performer.

LB Mike Peterson, JAC: Mike Peterson disappointed many last year, falling well short of the expectations that we set in his first year as a Jaguar, but he's looking to make ammends. Through three games he's picked up 20 solo tackles and a sack, a pace for career highs in both.

LB Kailee Wong, HOU: Wong has been a consistent force, quietly plugging along with five solo tackles in each game and 2.5 sacks. He's often overshadowed by teammates Jamie Sharper and Jay Foreman, but that will change if he continues to produce as he has thus far.

LB Monty Beisel, KC: When a player steps in as Beisel has and performs as well as he has, you tend to think that he's a flash in the pan. Beisel has been consistent to this point, with five or more solo tackles in each of the seasons first three games (20 total), and appears to be one of the early season waiver gems.

LB Derek Smith, SF: Mr.Consistency. For the past three seasons, you've known what to expect from Derek Smith...80 solo tackles and a couple of sacks. He's taken that a step further in 2004, giving us 24 solo tackles through three games, a pace that would set a career high for the eight year vet.

LB Julian Peterson, SF: The anti-Derek Smith, Peterson has performed at a high level over the past two seasons, regarded as the 49ers top defender, but he's lacked consistency. That hasn't been the case so far in '04 as he's posted five or more solo tackles in each game with 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles on the year.

LB David Thornton, IND: Well, Thornton has certainly quieted his skeptics (myself included) over the past two weeks, giving us 17 solo tackles with an interception, proving that a stongside linebacker in Tony Dungy's defense can be a solid fantasy producer. The Thornton v. Cato June debates seem silly at this point.

LB Derrick Brooks, TB: His solo tackles had declined over the past three seasons, leading us to believe that Brooks was done as being one of the top fantasy linebackers in the game, but with 22 solo tackles and an interception through three games he looks like the Derrick Brooks of old.

LB Napoleon Harris, OAK: His role as the Raiders top linebacker hasn't been doubted, but Napoleon Harris' potential has outweighed his production during his first two seasons. He missed the first two games of the year with a knee injury, but came out on Sunday and tied a career high with eight solo tackles. Big things are in store.

DB Madieu Williams, CIN: As a rookie defensive back who's been switched back and forth between safety and cornerback, you couldn't blame Madieu Williams if he struggled a bit adapting to life in the NFL. That certainly hasn't been the case here and Williams has flourished, leading Cincinnati with 18 solo tackles through three games.

DB Duane Starks, ARI: Duane Starks has posted 40+ solo tackles in three of his five NFL seasons but he's still known more as an interception guy. With 19 solos through three games, that may be changing, and the fact the he missed all but 10 games over the last two seasons doesn't seem to have slowed him down.

DB Jason Webster, ATL: Webster averaged 70 solo tackles during the 01-02 seasons while in San Francisco. He missed most of last year because of injury but hasn't missed a beat, picking up 16 solo tackles (five or more in each game) in his first three games as a member of the Falcons.

DB Tebucky Jones, NO: Tebucky Jones has taken a lot of heat over the past few years for being a huge underacheiver, with production never living up to his measurables. I figured that he deserves a mention now that he's actually playing well, on pace for a career high in solo tackles with 16 through three games.

DB Robert Griffith, CLE: Speculation flew during the offseason, and most of it had Griffith leaving the Cleveland Browns. He must've heard the news because at 33 years of age, he's playing the best fantasy ball of his career. He's posted 24 solo tackles through three weeks with seven or more in each game.

DB Todd Johnson, CHI: With Mike Brown done for the year with an Achilles' injury, Todd Johnson steps in as the Bears starting free safety. So far, so good with seven solo tackles in his first career start.

DB Gibril Wilson, NYG: Shaun Williams is expected to miss "significant" time with a knee injury, leaving Wilson as the starting strong safety in New York. A rookie fifth round pick, Wilson posted seven solo tackles with an interception in his first career start.

Downgrades

DL Simeon Rice, TB: Rice continues to struggle with just four solo tackles and one sack through three games. His game seemed to have rounded into shape last year, but he'll have trouble matching his averages of 43 solo tackles and 15.5 sacks over the last two seasons.

DL Dwight Freeney, IND: Dwight Freeney does have two sacks, leaving him on pace for another double digit campaign, but his tackles are concerning. He's posted just 1.8 solo tackles per game since his spectacular rookie year (2.8 solos per game) and has just five through three games this year.

LB Anthony Simmons, SEA: To this point in his career, when Anthony Simmons is healthy he has been a fantasy stud. That hasn't been the case this year. He's posted just 11 solo tackles in three games and is still looking for his first sack/interception.

LB Ray Lewis, BAL: As soon as you mention Ray Lewis as a downgrade he'll come out and post 15 solo tackles, but he deserves it after picking up just eight solo tackles over the last two games. I don't know if he's had a two game stretch during his nine year career with so few solo tackles, definitely not during the last two seasons.

LB Kevin Hardy, CIN: A disaster in the middle last year, a move back to the strongside was supposed to help Kevin Hardy return to his somewhat productive ways. It hasn't happened as he's posted a paltry three solo tackles through three games. Three solo tackles...total.

LB Kevin Lewis, NYG: Kevin Lewis came out on fire and looked like an early gem, posting eight solo tackles with a sack in the opener. Since then, he's picked up just six solo tackles over the last two games.

LB Barrett Green, NYG: This looked like Barrett Green's year. Coming over from the Lions, he was to be unleashed into Tim Lewis' defense which was supposed to highlight his playmaking skills. With 11 solo tackles and two passes defended through three games, this isn't exactly what we had in mind.

LB Nate Webster, CIN: Webster was playing well, posting 14 solo tackles over the last two games, but a knee injury has shut him down for the year.

LB E.J.Henderson, MIN: A sprained MCL will keep Henderson out of action from 2-6 weeks.

LB Ben Taylor, CLE: A pectoral injury puts Taylor on the shelf. He's scheduled for surgery and will miss 4-6 months.

DL Ed Reed, BAL: In know, most of you don't want to hear this because he's supposed to be the top free-safety in the game. The fact is, while he's a premiere playmaker, evident in his 14 interceptions in 35 career games, he's not a tackle machine. He's been flat out horrible this year with just three solo tackles in each of the first three games.

DB Deon Grant, JAC: Coming over from Carolina, Grant was familiar with Jack Del Rio's system and was supposed to be in for a career year. He's yet to show up this year with just seven solo tackles in three games.

DB Brian Russell, MIN: We told you to be carefull. When Russell is not picking off passes, he holds very little fantasy value. He's posted just four solo tackles over the last two weeks and has yet to record his first interception of the year. He picked off a pass in each of the first six games a year ago.