Defensive Upgrades/Downgrades by Brian Roberson 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. Here are our thoughts after week two's action. DEFENSIVE LINEMEN Upgrades Marcellus Wiley SD (Roberson) - Whether Wiley had an attractive game because he was going against the Texans O Line or not, he looked quick enough to signal that he has stepped up his game. Wiley is one of the most talented linemen in the game. If he's available in your league, make sure he's not after this week. Andre Carter SF (Roberson) - Carter is blossoming- almost to the point of being unblockable. If he's available, you need to pick him up to either add depth to your squad or start for you on a weekly basis. He's only going to get better. Aaron Schobel BUF (Roberson) - Schobel is an up and comer. This week he sacked mobile quarterback Daunte Culpepper three times. He also registered five solo tackles. If you're looking for DL help, he could be just what you need from a very thin defensive line market. Aberrations Mark Word CLE (Nadratowski) - Word replaced Courtney Brown, after Brown was scrubbed a half hour before game time, for week two. He responded by notching three sacks. However, I am going to wait to see if that kind of performance warrants an upgrade. He has the look of being this week's Carlos Hall. Downgrades Courtney Brown CLE (Roberson) - Brown was cleared to practice earlier in the week yet because he didn't get enough time in, he was a game day inactive. For a guy that showed so much promise two years ago, he has battled injury problems and perhaps motivation problems to become the player he should be. Not recommending you drop him just yet, but explore your options. Carlos Hall (R) TEN (Nadratowski) - Like any rookie, Hall is going to be inconsistent. He had one tackle in week two. Coming off his three-sack week one performance, he was a hot waiver wire grab, but may have cost owners who started him this week. He gets a slight downgrade for now, but I'm going to give him another week to see how he performs before advising anything more. Shaun Rogers DET (Nadratowski) - For a team that is playing as dreadfully as the Lions, the defensive players sure aren't getting the points. Last years' rookie stud has yet to show he is back from the injury that sidelined him most of the offseason. LINEBACKERS Upgrades Ray Lewis BAL (Nadratowski) - Baltimore has lost the time of possession battle the last two weeks by seven minutes week one and a whopping 11.5 minutes week two. While you know I was down on Ray Lewis during the preseason, this trend makes a huge difference in that prior evaluation. With the team playing this poorly on offense Lewis gets a big bump upwards. ILB Jamie Sharper/OLB Jeff Posey HOU (Nadratowski) - The Texans' offense came back down to earth this week, and I have a feeling that this game shows more of what the rest of the Texans' season will look like than their blindside victory over the Cowboys. With Sharper, you had the feeling that he was going to be a good player where his talents could be featured. With Posey it was harder to tell, since he was such an unknown. Yet both players tallied seven total tackles week two, and Posey got a sack as well. Playing on the expansion Texans, they will have up and down weeks, but should be good supporting players for your team. Joey Porter PIT (Roberson) - Porter is pure speed coming off the corner and to any of you who watched the Sunday night game, you saw many of his talents on display. He is such a difficult matchup for opposing teams. He's too quick for many tackles and too overpowering to be blocked by a running back. He brings energy to the Steelers' defense. Upgrade him and get him into your lineup. Aberrations Ben Leber SD (Roberson) - Strong side linebacker grabbing three sacks?? Chalk it up to playing against Houston. He won't have three more sacks in the next six games total. Danny Clark JAX (Nadratowski) - Clark started for Eric Westmoreland, who was injured with a concussion. He filled in admirably by posting a solid ten total tackles. But Westmoreland should be back to full speed next week, and Clark will fade back into the background. Downgrades Donnie Edwards SD (Roberson) - It's not that Edwards isn't producing, it's that he's not producing like the typical Donnie Edwards we've come to know and love. Chances are, you had to draft him high in your draft. For that reason, he's not living up to the value you placed upon him. Downgrade him slightly because he and Seau are splitting numbers right now. Wali Rainer JAX (Roberson) - This guy had fantasy sleeper written all over him before the season. Sleep is what it looks like he's been doing for the first two games. Not exactly what we had in mind when he got the starting middle linebacker job handed to him upon his arrival in Jacksonville. Henri Crockett MIN (Roberson) - Crockett is hard to figure. One minute, it looks like he's going to be the stud linebacker he should've been, and the next we see him making just one solo tackle this past week. What gives? Not a recommendation at this time to be in your starting lineup. Hold on to him for one more week before cutting him but make other plans if you can afford to for next week. Chris Claiborne DET (Nadratowski) - Claiborne hasn't gotten anywhere near the numbers you'd expect from a MLB on a bad team. I felt that Claiborne was overvalued coming into the year, and I see no reason to adjust my opinion yet. The Lions play says that two or three of their D players should be good starters, but none of them has yet appeared. Peter Boulware BAL (Nadratowski) - The clock giveth, and the clock taketh away. Ray Lewis and Ed Hartwell are good fantasy plays, but Peter Boulware isn't benefiting. He's only getting about four tackles per week. There are cornerbacks who get more than that. Unless you have no other option, find another LB starter somewhere else. DEFENSIVE BACKS Upgrades Reggie Howard CAR (Nadratowski) - Howard has been playing solidly, getting a total of 13 tackles and one assist since week one. He also has one PD and FR. The Panthers will struggle all year, leaving him on the field a lot. With the kind of action Howard is getting, he deserves and upgrade until he cools off. Idrees Bashir IND (Roberson) - Bashir played really well against the Dolphins on Sunday. It seemed like he finally became the ball hawking safety that the Colts thought he'd become when they spent a high pick on him last season. Monitor his progress or go out and grab him now. Either way, unless you're in a really deep league, you will not want to start him until you see the consistency you need. Aberrations Pierson Priouleau BUF (Nadratowski) - With so much passing going on, Priouleau was in on many more plays than he would be usually. He netted 10 solos and two assists. How many times do you see free safeties post linebacker-type numbers? Next week he'll go back to 2-5 tackles per week. Downgrades Lawyer Milloy NE (Nadratowski) - What, downgrade Milloy? Yep. The team is playing so well on offense that it's hurting his performance. He's a run stopper, and with teams getting behind early, they aren't running as much. Start him as a #2 DB until opponents figure out how to slow the offense down.