UPGRADES

• DL Jarvis Green, New England (4 solos, 3 sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR)
  Green had 3 sacks against the Bengals (which all came in the 4th quarter), making him the first Patriot player with 3 sacks in a game since Mike Vrabel in 2003. On his first sack, he knocked the ball out of Carson Palmer's hands and recovered the fumble himself at the Bengals 13 yard line. The ensuing touchdown put the game out of reach, but he still managed two more sacks in a 3-play span later on. The Patriots have apparently switched to a base 4-3 defense, which will likely move Richard Seymour inside to DT and create more playing time for Green at DE.
• DL Patrick Kerney, Atlanta (4 solos, 3 sacks, 1 FF)
  After suffering a triceps injury in the season opener, Kerney had been ineffective as a pass rusher. But, he exploded against the Cardinals shaky offensive line on Sunday with 4 solos, 3 sacks, and a forced fumble. John Abraham is expected to return to the lineup soon and now that Kerney is healthy again, teams will have a hard time blocking both of these guys at once.
• DL Vonnie Holliday, Miami (7 solos, 2 sacks)
  Jason Taylor had a huge day against the Titans on Sunday, but everybody expects him to do well. Holliday, meanwhile, also came through with an impressive performance in the loss. Holliday has 18 solo tackles in 3 games so far, which ranks him 2nd to only Zach Thomas on the Dolphins. He has an excellent chance to improve on his numbers from last year, when he finished as the #30 ranked fantasy DL in FBG scoring.
• DL Kevin Williams, Minnesota (7 solos, 1 asst, 1 sack, 1 PD)
  Williams was a fantasy bust last year and has been inconsistent so far this year, but he was a force on Sunday. He's now had two good games and two poor games so you may not be able to rely on him every week, but at least he's showing signs of progress. He leads the team with 2 sacks now, but last year he didn't record his second sack of the season until December 18th.
• DL Tommie Harris, Chicago (3 solos, 2 sacks)
  Even though his statistics last year were not that impressive (29 solos, 3 sacks) and he was just finishing his second year in the league, Harris was a surprise starter in the Pro Bowl. People around the league apparently realized how dominant he was at times, and how important he is to this Bears defense. He's now taken his play to a new level this year, and currently is tied with Julius Peppers and Trent Cole for the league lead in sacks among DL with 5.
• DL Tamba Hali, Kansas City (2 solos, 1 asst, 1 FF, 1.5 sacks)
  Hali got a chance to play in front of his mother for the first time on Sunday, and he made the most of it. Hali terrorized 49ers RT Kwame Harris and finished the day with 2 solos, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble in a blowout win. Meanwhile, the Chiefs RDE Jared Allen was charged with his second DUI in 5 months last week. If he can stay out of further trouble and if Hali continues to progress, the Chiefs pass rush should be the best it's been since the days of Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith.
• LB Bart Scott, Baltimore (11 solos, 4 asst, 1 INT, 1 PD)
  Scott put up an impressive 5 sacks in the first 3 games, but those came against some of the league's weaker teams and his 13 solo tackles weren't that impressive so he seemed like a guy that could drop off once the sacks dried up. His game against a very strong Chargers team, however, suggests that Scott might be here to stay and could wind up being one of the biggest IDP surprises this year.
• LB Michael Boley, Atlanta (7 solos, 1 sack, 1 INT, 1 FF)
  After getting shut out in the season opener, Boley has emerged as a force for the Falcons with 3 solid games in a row (21 solos). He combines great size, strength, and athleticism which allows the Falcons to use him in coverage on a slot receiver at times, or as a rush end in pass situations. Strongside linebackers don't always make great fantasy options, but he looks like he could be an exception to that rule.
• LB Derrick Johnson, Kansas City (7 solos, 2 asst, 1.5 sacks, 1 FF, 1 PD)
  Johnson is loaded with talent and is living up to his potential in just his second year in the league. He put up a huge statline in a blowout win over the 49ers on Sunday, and should have more games like this in the future. He's another one of the exceptions who can put up big fantasy numbers despite playing a less than ideal position.
• LB Caleb Miller, Cincinnati (7 solos, 6 asst, 1 PD)
  I'm listing him here as an upgrade because he put up good numbers in a start at WLB against the Patriots on Sunday, but he might not hold onto the starting job past the bye week so don't get too excited. Normal starting SLB Rashad Jeanty missed the game, which forced the Bengals to move Landon Johnson to the strong side and that opened up a spot for Miller on the weak side. Miller is an undersized player with a good motor, but the Patriots were effective running at him and the Bengals probably won't want to stick with him in the lineup if they can help it.
• LB Shaun Phillips, San Diego (7 solos, 1 sack, 1 FF)
  Phillips moved into the starting lineup when Steve Foley was shot in the preseason. Phillips is an excellent pass rusher (7 sacks in 2005, 3 in 3 games in 2006), but his tackle numbers will likely be inconsistent from week to week. After a big game against the Ravens this week, however, Phillips is currently leading the Chargers in solo tackles with 13.
• DB Justin Miller, NY Jets (9 solos, 1 PD, 1 TD)
  Miller has won a starting CB job with the Jets this year and had a monster game against the Colts on Sunday. Not only did he finish with 9 solo stops, but he also ran back a kickoff return for a TD to give the Jets a lead late in the game. Miller doesn't have great size and has yet to record an interception, but he plays a physical game and is one of the league's best kick returners.
• DB Will Allen, Miami (8 solos, 1 sack, 1 INT, 3 PD)
  Allen put up pretty solid tackle numbers with the Giants the past two seasons (75 in 2004, 62 in 2005) but he struggled to make plays (1 INT in 32 games). He had the best of both worlds on Sunday with an 8 solo day and an interception of David Carr.
• DB Glenn Earl, Houston (6 solos, 1 sack)
  Earl came into the league as a promising safety but hadn't quite been able to settle in with the Texans before this year. He's now relatively safe as the starting strong safety and figures to put up some good numbers on a poor team. Through just 4 games, his 21 solo stops already equal his total from last year and he also added his first career sack on Sunday.
• DB Stuart Schweigert, Oakland (10 solos, 1 asst)
  Through 3 games, Schweigert leads the Raiders in solo tackles with 19 and he's also added 3 more on special teams. With the Raiders struggling, he may not get many interception opportunities, but he's a smart player and a good tackler who figures to be on the field a lot this year.

DOWNGRADES

• DL Bryce Fisher (2 solos) & Grant Wistrom (2 solos), Seattle
  The Seahawks defensive ends have been pretty useless fantasy options so far this year. Fisher has 6 solos and 1 sack after 4 games, while Wistrom has just 5 solos and 1 sack. Wistrom hasn't really been all that productive since arriving in Seattle so his low numbers probably aren't that surprising. Fisher, however, had 9 sacks and finished as a top-20 fantasy DL last year so more was expected of him.
• DL Mike Rucker, Carolina (1 asst)
  Not that long ago, Rucker was considered one of the elite fantasy DEs in the game. From 2001 to 2003, he put up 31 sacks in 46 games while also racking up big tackle numbers as well. After struggling in 2004, he seemed to rebound a bit last year with 7.5 sacks, but now it looks like he's back to being relatively useless again. After 4 games, he has just 6 solo tackles and 0 sacks, despite playing opposite the best defensive end in the game.
• DL Marcus Stroud, Jacksonville (1 solo)
  Although DTs don't usually provide consistent production in leagues that group them together with DEs, Stroud was one of the exceptions and was a pretty reliable fantasy option from 2002 to 2004. His tackle numbers have dropped off considerably, however, and he's failed to record a sack in 15 straight games.
• DL James Hall, Detroit (2 solos)
  Hall finished among the top-31 fantasy DL in each of the past 3 seasons and has proven to be a very solid all-around DE for the Lions. He doesn't appear to be a great fit in the Lions new defense though and has just 9 solos and 1 sack through 4 games.
• DL Terrell Suggs, Baltimore (1 solo)
  Suggs didn't start the game against the Chargers this week but he did play. He was limited by a hamstring injury that had been bothering him throughout the week. He's still an elite fantasy DL when healthy, but hamstring problems have a tendency to linger so keep an eye on this situation if he's one of your starters.
• LB Brian Simmons, Cincinnati (4 asst)
  Simmons played poorly against the Patriots on Sunday and it showed in his stat line. The Patriots ran for 236 yards on 41 carries, and Simmons did very little to slow them down.
• LB Scott Fujita, New Orleans (1 solo, 1 asst, 1 PD)
  With 15 solos, 8 assists, a sack and an interception in the first 3 games, Fujita started to look like the one Saints LB you could rely on as an every week starter. His numbers this week suggest otherwise, however, as he finished with just 1 solo tackle while MLB Mark Simoneau had 6 and WLB Scott Shanle had 4.
• LB Boss Bailey, Detroit (2 solos)
  Bailey is the Lions starting MLB but he has just 8 solo tackles after 4 games. The Lions rotate their linebackers quite a bit, but those numbers are still very disappointing. The only linebacker worth rostering in Detroit is rookie Ernie Sims (24 solos, 10 asst).
• LB D'Qwell Jackson, Cleveland (2 solos)
  The rookie is starting at ILB next to Andra Davis but he's put up low tackle numbers for three straight games now. He remains a promising prospect but needs to play better to avoid losing playing time to veteran Chaun Thompson.
• DB Pacman Jones, Tennessee (2 solos, 1 PD)
  Jones came into the league as a very high draft pick and was described as a playmaker who could also play a physical game. Well, we're almost 20 games into his career and he has yet to record a single interception. One would think a young CB like Jones would be picked on frequently by opposing QBs, but Jones has pretty low tackle numbers as well with just 5 solos over his last 3 games.
• DB Darren Sharper, Minnesota (3 solos, 2 asst)
  Sharper is one of the league's elite playmakers and has an incredible 40 INTs over his last 6 seasons. This year, however, he has yet to record an INT in 4 games and his 11 solo tackles are tied with DTs Pat and Kevin Williams. The new defensive system in Minnesota doesn't give him as many interception opportunities as he had last year so don't be afraid to move him while you still can.
• DB Ken Lucas, Carolina (2 solos)
  Lucas put up 60 solo tackles and 6 interceptions in each of the past two seasons, establishing himself as one of the best all-around CBs in the league. Through 4 games this year, however, he's been a disappointment for fantasy owners with just 10 solo stops and 1 INT. His teammate Chris Gamble is still putting up great numbers though so perhaps teams are avoiding Lucas and trying to pick on Gamble instead.
• DB Terrence Kiel, San Diego (DNP - inactive)
  Kiel won the starting SS job in San Diego this year, but didn't do a whole lot in the first two weeks with just 5 solo stops. He was arrested last week on drug charges and the team made him inactive this week. It is not clear whether he'll miss any more time but keep an eye on this situation and don't be afraid to release him if there's somebody better out there.
• DB Terrence Holt, Detroit (0 tackles)
  Holt got off to a great start this season with 7 solos in the opener against the Seahawks, but his numbers have declined steadily since then until he finished with 0 this week against the Rams. The Rams should have been an excellent matchup for him too with their potent passing attack and his brother playing on the other side. When Kenoy Kennedy returns, Daniel Bullocks could take Holt's starting job.