Defensive Upgrades/Downgrades by Brian Roberson and Tom Nadratowski Every week, FootballGuys.com's resident Individual Defensive Player (IDP) Gurus - Brian Roberson and Tom Nadratowski- will be providing you with immediate opinions on what players are stepping up their play, which ones are falling down on the job and which players just happened to have a horseshoe in their pocket for one game. DEFENSIVE LINEMEN Upgrades Mike Rucker CAROLINA (Nadratowski) - Facing certain double teams with Peppers gone, Rucker responded with four tackles and three assists. For fun he added a safety. Rucker gets an upgrade for performing like that against the odds. Cornelius Griffin NEW YORK GIANTS (Roberson) - Holy comeback!! Griffin apparently just needed a few weeks off!! He comes back and records three sacks and six solo tackles and a forced fumble! This kind of production is something that Griffin is capable of each week. Don't think he's going to go out and do this again but he's less of an aberration than he is an upgrade. Kalimba Edwards DETROIT (Nadratowski) - Those of you who read my rookie evaluation earlier in the year know I had Edwards as my #3 DL. His only drawback then was that he wasn't starting. For those of you in keeper or dynasty leagues, hang on to or get this guy. He will definitely help you next year. In the last four weeks he has 11-2-3. This also applies to Dwight Freeney IND. Aberrations Kelly Gregg - BALTIMORE (Nadratowski) - Gregg notched an unbelievable 6-3-1. He normally gets a pedestrian four tackles per game. He will go back to that level again next week. Grant Wistrom - ST LOUIS (Roberson) - Wistrom is looking an awful lot like a player who is nowhere near 100% healthy. This guy has a motor that's always full bore but to only register one solo tackle against the Chiefs offensive line isn't necessarily that bad. The Chiefs have one of the best lines in the league. Give Wistrom the benefit of the doubt. He should return next week. Downgrades Warren Sapp - TAMPA BAY (Nadratowski) - For a guy who is usually consistent, Sapp has been tremendously disappointing. This week he managed a measly two tackles. He'll break out eventually, but make sure you have him paired with another DL or a better option if you can't. LINEBACKERS Upgrades Chris Draft ATLANTA (Roberson) - Draft has stepped right in to the starting role along side Keith Brooking in the middle. He had 13 tackles on Sunday. He is the number one guy that's probably still available in your league. Pick him up at once. Sam Cowart NEW YORK JETS (Roberson) - Cowart is coming on strong as the season ends and he's getting completely healthy. Cowart is one of the dominating linebackers in the game. It would serve you well to try and acquire him especially if you're in a keeper or dynasty league. He will be a monster in 2003. Nate Webster TAMPA BAY (Roberson) - Webster looks to have taken over the starting middle job from Shelton Quarles in Tampa (either by injury or productivity). If this is true, Webster could become an immediate starter on your squad. Mark Fields CAROLINA (Nadratowski) - For the second week in a row Fields has responded with a great game. This week it was 5-3-2. This guy is en fuego and should be started until further notice. Ted Johnson NEW ENGLAND (Nadratowski) - Johnson posted a great 6-3-1 this week in place of the injured Bruschi. Johnson gets an upgrade as long as Bruschi stays out. Aberrations Peter Boulware BALTIMORE (Nadratowski) - Boulware usually has 1-2 huge games per year, and this was one of them. 11 total tackles and a sack qualifies as an aberration, since he usually gets about two. Downgrades Jessie Armstead WASHINGTON (Nadratowski) - After playing well earlier in the year, it looks like Armstead has run out of gas. His production has dropped two straight weeks. He has had erratic streaks like this all year. Start him at your own risk. DEFENSIVE BACKS Upgrades Reggie Howard CAROLINA (Nadratowski) - Three straight weeks Howard has posted at least eight tackles. This week he notched an unbelievable 11-1-0 1 PD. He gets an upgrade, but be careful. He has performed like this before earlier in the season only to disappear (see weeks 4-8, 10-11). Start him but pair him with another reliable DB if your starting requirements allow it. Michael Lewis - PHILADELPHIA (Roberson) - Lewis is starting for the injured Blaine Bishop. The rookie was a ball hawk at the University of Colorado and proved to be one this week as well in his first start. Lewis is a great add in keeper/dynasty leagues. Quentin Jammer - SAN DIEGO (Roberson) - Jammer has not exactly been on the scorers' radar screens in the first part of the year. Now he's starting and putting up a lot of points by getting picked on and making the tackle. Naturally, the rookie will get picked on by every team he plays. Jammer still has some favorable matchups in which to get more tackles. A good pickup. Aberrations Jason Webster SAN FRANCISCO (Nadratowski) - Webster had his worst outing in a month this week. He managed only four stops and a PD after posting at least seven for three straight weeks. He should bounce back next week. Tony Parrish SAN FRANCISCO (Roberson) - Parrish's totals for Sunday will show a big number. Facts are he had two interceptions on Chad Hutchinson. Other than that he had two solo tackles. That's unsatisfactory. Don't expect two picks in any week. Be alarmed at the low tackle numbers. Kim Herring ST LOUIS (Roberson) - Herring had his best game of the season on Sunday with 10 total tackles. He'll be lucky if he has 10 more in the next three games combined. Not a tackle hog, I'd recommend staying away. Tebucky Jones NEW ENGLAND (Nadratowski) - Jones has done nothing for weeks, and then appears after his big game this week. It's great for highlight reels, but lousy for your team. If you started him, congratulations - you'll rub the fur off your rabbit's foot waiting for him to do this again. Downgrades Adrian Wilson - ARIZONA (Nadratowski) - Wilson has dropped off the pace that was making him a solid fantasy starter every week. I think he'll break out of his slump soon, but with time at such a premium this time of year, he gets a downgrade. John Lynch - TAMPA BAY (Roberson) - Lynch had an unspecified neck injury in the first quarter of Sunday's game. He did not return. If he is out any period of time, you need to look for another option. Monitor the injury reports early in the week. Coy Wire - BUFFALO (Roberson) - I know I know�we've been high and low on this guy all season long. Now we're officially recommending you get out your matches and burn this guy's name from your roster. Forget about him. Kaput. He's not consistent enough to play for you in the playoffs. Never again!!!