UPGRADES

• DL Alex Brown, Chicago (3 solos, 2 sacks, 2 QH, 2 FF)
  Brown almost made the Pro Bowl last year despite finishing with just 6 sacks, which also happened to tie his career high set one year earlier. Brown is a very good player, but it doesn't always show up in the stat sheet. He's putting up great numbers right now though with 9 solos, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 2 FF, and 1 PD in his last two games.
• DL Cory Redding, Detroit (5 solos, 2 sacks, 2 QH, 1 FF)
  Redding is normally a defensive end but he actually got a start at DT for the Lions this week. He's versatile enough to line up at several different positions and he should get more playing time with James Hall being placed on IR last week.
• DL Brett Keisel, Pittsburgh (5 solos, 3 asst, 1 sack, 1 QH, 1 FR, 1 PD)
  After putting up 2 sacks in his first 4 games, Keisel went 4 straight games without recording a sack before exploding against the Saints this week. He's a young player who should continue to improve as the season continues, but don't expect this type of production from him too often.
• DL Mathias Kiwanuka, NY Giants (3 solos, 1 INT, 1 PD)
  Kiwanuka is making the most of his chance to play due to all the injuries the Giants have suffered. After putting up 2 sacks in the last 2 games, he showed off his athleticism yesterday when he dropped back into coverage and picked off Rex Grossman. With 14 solos, 2 sacks, 1 INT, and 1 FF in the last 3 games, he's one of the hottest fantasy DL in the league.
• DL Kenard Lang, Denver (2 solos, 2 sacks, 1 QH, 1 FF)
  Lang had another 2-sack game this week against the Raiders, which gives him 5 in the last 4 games. Every former Browns lineman who comes to Denver seems to find success and Lang looks like a great pickup if he's still available in your league.
• DL Jason Babin, Houston (3 solos, 2 sacks, 2 QH)
  The former 1st round pick who had been pretty much buried on the bench for most of this year finally showed signs of life yesterday with 2 sacks and 2 QB hurries in the Texans upset over the Jaguars. His performance this week probably earned him more playing time going forward and the Texans could move Anthony Weaver inside now that Travis Johnson has been lost for the season with a calf injury.
• DL Warren Sapp, Oakland (3 solos, 2 sacks, 2 QH)
  Sapp is on a tear lately with 10 solos and 4 sacks in his last 3 games. The Raiders defense has been playing well, but haven't been getting much help from the offense. With 6 sacks in 9 games, he has an excellent chance to finish the year with more sacks than he's had since 2000.
• LB Daryl Smith, Jacksonville (12 solos, 1 sack, 1 QH, 1 FF)
  It took a little while for Smith to start putting up the big numbers expected of him after he replaced Mike Peterson as the starting MLB, but his huge game this week could be a sign of things to come.
• LB Angelo Crowell, Buffalo (12 solos, 1 asst, 1 FF, 2 PD)
  Crowell's numbers dropped off considerably the past few weeks and some mistakenly attributed it to the return of Takeo Spikes. However, Crowell continues to play WLB and in the team's nickel package and Spikes hasn't been much more than a shell of his former self to this point. Don't count on this production often from Crowell, but he's still a very viable starter in most leagues.
• LB Brandon Moore, San Francisco (7 solos, 2 asst, 2 sacks, 2 QH)
  The 49ers started the game yesterday in a 4-3 front with Moore lined up at WLB and he put up huge numbers again. In addition to his team leading 7 solo stops, he was also the 49ers best pass rusher with 2 sacks and 2 QB hurries. If Moore somehow happens to still be available in your league, he probably won't be for long.
• LB Junior Seau, New England (11 solos, 4 asst)
  Amazingly, Seau has been outproducing Tedy Bruschi lately. Over his last 2 games, Seau has been involved in an incredible 26 tackles (18 solos, 8 assists) while also adding a rare sack of Peyton Manning. Bruschi had his most productive game of the season this week as well with 6 solos and 10 assists so there's no reason they can't both be productive together.
• LB Shaun Phillips, San Diego (2 solos, 5 asst, 1 sack, 1 QH, 1 FF, 1 FR)
  Phillips returned to the lineup more quickly than expected and picked up right where he left off. That was impressive considering the team was also playing without their other best two pass rushers in Shawne Merriman and Luis Castillo.
• LB Dennis Haley, Baltimore (5 solos, 5 asst, 2 PD)
  Ray Lewis missed the game this week and was replaced in the starting lineup by Mike Smith, but he dislocated his shoulder on the opening series so the Ravens had to turn to Dennis Haley. Haley was just promoted from the practice squad on Saturday and put up solid numbers. With no timetable on Lewis' return, the Ravens might have to rely on Haley as their starting MLB.
• DB Dawan Landry, Baltimore (7 solos, 5 asst, 1 sack, 1 QH, 2 PD)
  Landry is having a very solid rookie campaign as the Ravens starting SS. He started off the year putting up good tackle numbers and not much else, but he's been begun to make his share of big plays. In his last 4 games, Landry has put up 3 INTs, 1 sack, and 5 PD. With Ray Lewis out injured this week, it probably wasn't a coincidence that Landry led the team in tackles either.
• DB Keith Lewis, San Francisco (5 solos, 1 asst, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 PD)
  The 49ers have rotated a bunch of guys in at both safety spots this year with varying success, but Lewis looks like he might be able to lock down the FS job for awhile. He is a former 6th round pick from 2004 who was a major contributor on special teams before getting a chance to start last week. He has played two strong games in a row and helped seal the victory over the Lions this week with an interception at the end of the game.
• DB O.J. Atogwe, St. Louis (5 solos, 3 asst, 1 sack, 2 FF)
  Atogwe broke out of a slump this week with a huge game against the Seahawks. After putting up just 3 solos in his last 2 games, he was very active with 8 combined tackles, along with the first sack and forced fumble of his career.
• DB Erik Coleman, NY Jets (7 solos, 2 asst, 1 INT, 1 PD)
  Despite getting off to a very slow start this year, Coleman has been on fire of late. In his last 3 games, he's put up 22 solos, 7 assists, an INT and 2 PD. He probably won't get too many interception opportunities unless the Jets improve their pass rush up front, but the tackle numbers he's been getting lately are a great sign.
• DB Yeremiah Bell, Miami (6 solos, 3 asst, 3 PD)
  Bell has taken over the starting SS job in Miami and he's making the most of it with 11 solos, 3 asst, 1 FF, and 5 PD in the last 2 games. He's a physical player who should be able to hold onto the starting job until the Dolphins can find an upgrade next season.

DOWNGRADES

• DL Darren Howard, Philadelphia (1 solo)
  Howard 3 sacks in his first 5 games, but he's now gone sackless for 4 straight. To make matters worse, he's not really contributing much else with 9 solos and 2 PD in those 4 games.
• DL Bert Berry, Arizona (1 solo)
  Berry appeared to turn his disappointing season around with 4 sacks over a recent two game stretch, but he hasn't been able to build on that with just 3 solos and 1 assist in the last 2 games.
• DL Mark Anderson, Chicago (2 asst)
  Now that Adewale Ogunleye is healthy and playing again, the rookie Anderson might have a hard time getting enough playing time to build on the 7.5 sacks he put up in the first 7 games of the year. Over the last 2 games, he has just 1 solo and 2 assists.
• LB Lemar Marshall, Washington (0 tackles)
  The box score was very strange for the Redskins this week as their starting MLB finished with 0 tackles, and their starting SLB Marcus Washington finished with just 1. The only Redskins linebacker who did anything was WLB Warrick Holdman, who finished with 4 solos and a sack. The Eagles did have 34 rush attempts as they tried to run out the clock in the second half so the Redskins best two linebackers definitely should have been more productive than they were.
• LB Teddy Lehman, Detroit (0 tackles)
  When Lehman returned off the PUP list a few weeks ago, there were reports out of Detroit that he would take over the starting MLB job. Well, it certainly looks like someone was lying because in the two games since then he's put up just 1 solo and 1 assist.
• LB Boss Bailey, Detroit (1 solo, 1 asst)
  Bailey started the game at SLB this week with Paris Lenon starting inside and that change was evident in his production. The Lions appear to be very comfortable with rotating their linebackers who aren't Ernie Sims, so one week it might be Bailey who has a good game and the next week it might be Lenon or someone else. Probably best to stay clear unless things get sorted out a little better.
• LB Derrick Johnson, Kansas City (DNP)
  Johnson was knocked out of last week's game with an ankle injury that also forced him to miss this week's game. Early reports this week suggested he wouldn't be able to return in week 11 either. Keyaron Fox started in his place this week and put up good numbers with 6 solos and 3 assists.
• DB Michael Boulware, Seattle (0 tackles)
  Boulware has now gone 3 straight games with 0 tackles after losing his starting job to Jordan Babineaux. He was expected to play in the nickel package and possibly win back his job but it doesn't look like that is going to happen unless Babineaux gets injured.
• DB Donte Whitner, Buffalo (3 solos, 1 asst)
  Whitner had a strong start to his rookie season, but his fantasy production has been disappointing for 3 straight weeks now. With just 6 solos and 6 assists in his last 3 games and no interceptions since week 1, he's not a player that you can rely on for consistent production. It doesn't help that he was charged with harassment after a domestic dispute with his girlfriend this past week.
• DB Nick Collins, Green Bay (3 solos)
  Collins was injured in the loss to Buffalo last week but he was healthy enough to start at FS this week. The 3 solo tackles weren't that bad, but most fantasy owners expected more from him this season. He's only exceeded 3 solo tackles once in the last 6 games and he's yet to record a big play like a sack, interception, or forced fumble.
• DB Daniel Bullocks, Detroit (0 tackles)
  Bullocks had been putting up some pretty nice fantasy numbers in place of the injured Kenoy Kennedy, but he lost his starting job with the return of Kennedy. The Lions started Kennedy at SS this week and Terrence Holt at FS. If that continues, Bullocks' fantasy value will obviously be minimal.
• DB Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh (1 solo)
  Polamalu only has 2 solos in his last 2 games, but of more concern is the fact that he left the game yesterday with a concussion and didn't return. He had a history of concussions when he entered the league and this is officially his 6th so he might need to sit out for awhile.