UPGRADES

• DL Kyle Vanden Bosch, Tennessee (5 solos, 1 asst, 2 sacks, 3 QH, 1 FF)
  Vanden Bosch got off to a good start this year with 12 solos and 2 sacks in his first 3 games, but then he went 3 straight games without a sack. He returned to form with a huge game against the Texans this week, however, and should put up strong numbers in the second half.
• DL Tommy Kelly, Oakland (6 solos, 1.5 sacks, 2 QH)
  Kelly is the starting NT for Oakland and he had a very impressive performance against the Steelers this week. In addition to clogging up the running game, he also added 1.5 sacks and 2 other QB hurries. With 14 solo tackles over the last 3 games, he's certainly worth a roster spot in leagues that require a starting DT.
• DL Mathias Kiwanuka, NY Giants (4 solos, 2 asst, 1 sack, 1 QH, 1 FF)
  The rookie Kiwanuka got his first career start on Sunday in place of an injured Osi Umenyiora and there wasn't much of a drop-off. The Giants are certainly one of the deepest teams in the league at the DE position and Kiwanuka looks like a future star if he can get enough playing time.
• DL Hollis Thomas, Philadelphia (4 solos, 1 asst, 1 sack, 1 QH, 1 FR)
  Thomas starts at NT for the Saints and he's now put together two strong games in a row. Over the last two games, he's racked up 10 solos, 2 sacks, and a fumble recovery, out-producing his high profile linemates Charles Grant and Will Smith.
• DL Ellis Wyms, Tampa Bay (2 solos, 3 asst, 1 sack, 1 QH)
  Given the way that Wyms has been playing, the Bucs have no regrets about trading away Antonio McFarland. Since entering the starting lineup for good in week 6, Wyms has put up 10 solos, 4 assists, and 4 sacks in the last 3 games.
• LB Eric Barton, NY Jets (9 solos, 1 asst, 1 sack, 2 QH)
  The Jets are now at the halfway point of their season and Barton has outperformed Jonathan Vilma. Barton has 47 solo tackles to 43 for Vilma, and Barton has also added 2 sacks while Vilma has none. It's likely that offenses are paying a lot more attention to Vilma, which means Barton has less blockers to sift through when chasing down plays.
• LB Clark Haggans, Pittsburgh (5 solos, 2 asst, 2 sacks, 2 QH)
  Haggans had a breakout season in 2005 with 42 solo tackles and 9 sacks but he's on pace to top both of those numbers this year. He's putting up decent tackle numbers for a 3-4 OLB and has 4 or more solos in 5 of his last 6 games while also contributing 5 sacks in his last 5 games. The return of Joey Porter to the lineup this week should also help his numbers going forward as offenses will have a hard time stopping both of them.
• LB Clint Ingram, Jacksonville (6 solos, 1 asst, 1 sack, 1 QH, 1 PD)
  The season ending injury to Mike Peterson has forced the Jaguars to make some adjustments and it looks like Ingram could be one of the main beneficiaries. Sunday against the Eagles, the Jaguars opened up in their nickel formation with just Daryl Smith and Clint Ingram at linebacker. The rookie responded with a very impressive game in his first start and looks like a player who could make a fantasy impact in the second half of the season.
• LB Matt McCoy, Philadelphia (6 solos, 1 asst, 1 FF, 1 PD)
  After winning the starting WLB job in training camp, McCoy looked good early on with 7 solos in the season opener but his numbers dropped off as he started losing playing time to Shawn Barber. The pendulum appears to be swinging back in McCoy's favor as he has 11 solos, 4 assists, and a PD over the last two weeks while Barber finished the game this week with 0 tackles.
• LB Gerris Wilkinson, NY Giants (5 solos, 1 FF, 1 PD)
  Brandon Short got the start at WLB for the Giants but left the game with a quad injury in the second half and didn't return. He was replaced by the rookie Wilkinson, who looked very good in coverage against the Bucs tight ends. In addition to his 5 solos, he had a forced fumble and just missed an interception in the third quarter.
• DB Marlon McCree, San Diego (5 solos, 2 asst, 1 FR, 1 TD)
  McCree was the only major free agent signing for the Chargers this offseason and he's begun to make a major impact on their defense in recent weeks. He has 14 solo tackles in his last 3 games and should continue to produce well in that department after Merriman goes on suspension. McCree has also been making some big plays with an interception, sack, and fumble returned for TD all in the past 4 games.
• DB Mike Minter, Carolina (10 solos, 5 asst)
  It might have just been a fluke, but Minter's 15 combined tackles are worthy of mentioning here. Minter had some productive seasons as the SS for the Panthers in recent years but has seen his numbers drop off after being shifted to FS last year. With 14 solos and 10 assists over the past two weeks, he's now just 2 tackles behind the team leader.
• DB Omar Stoutmire, New Orleans (8 solos, 3 asst)
  Stoutmire took over the starting SS job when rookie Roman Harper went down with an injury and he's put up very strong numbers. In 2 games as a starter, Stoutmire has 13 solos and 3 assists. The SS in New Orleans has traditionally been a very productive fantasy player and it looks like that trend is continuing this year.
• DB Todd Johnson, Chicago (5 solos, 2 FF)
  Todd Johnson took over the starting SS job in Chicago after Mike Brown was placed on injured reserve. He made the most of the opportunity this week with 5 solos and 2 forced fumbles, and is worth a roster spot as long as he holds onto the starting job.
• DB Erik Coleman, NY Jets (5 solos, 4 asst, 1 PD)
  Coleman was a fantasy non-factor for the first 6 games of the season but he's shown signs of life the past two weeks with 15 solos, 5 assists, and a PD. In each of the past two seasons, he put up better numbers in the second half than he did in the first so Coleman might be due for a strong finish this year.
• DB Sean Considine, Philadelphia (5 solos, 2 asst, 1 FR)
  Considine got his second consecutive start this week and got enough playing time to finish 3rd on the team in tackles. He played well and it looks like this change could be long-term, although Lewis is a better run defender.
• DB Antoine Bethea, Indianapolis (6 solos, 1 asst)
  With Mike Doss going on injured reserve last week, Bethea should remain in the starting lineup for at least the rest of the season. He got the start at SS this week but will likely shift to FS once Bob Sanders returns. With the Colts front seven struggling to stop the run, however, there should be plenty of tackle opportunities for both safeties most weeks.

DOWNGRADES

• DL Orpheus Roye, Cleveland (0 tackles)
  Roye looked like he was ready to get on a roll after a strong game last week and a favorable matchup, but unfortunately he injured his hamstring on the first play of the game and sat out the entire second half.
• DL Terrell Suggs, Baltimore (1 PD, 0 QH)
  After a great start with 11 solos, 3 assists, and 3 sacks in his first 3 games, Suggs has gone cold. Over his last 4 games, Suggs has just 4 solos, 4 assists, and 0 sacks. He had been playing through a hamstring injury, however, so it's possible that he may not be completely healthy yet.
• DL Mike Patterson, Philadelphia (2 solos)
  Patterson had a great start to the season with 9 solos and 1.5 sacks in his first two games but he's failed to record a sack since then and has just 11 solos in his last 6 games. He remains a starter for the Eagles but is not making the most of his playing time in the Eagles DT rotation.
• DL Tommie Harris, Chicago (1 asst, 1 FR)
  Harris was dominant early this year with 5 sacks in a 3-game stretch and was getting some consideration as a defensive player of the year candidate. Since then, however, he has put up just 1 solo, 3 assists, and a FR in the last 3 games. Either he's not been that effective or offenses are devoting a lot of attention to slowing him down. The latter is probably more likely and that trend will probably continue.
• LB Brandon Short, NY Giants (0 tackles)
  Short had been playing very well over the past few weeks, but missed most of the game this week with a quad injury early on. The Giants signed veteran Chris Claiborne on Monday, but he could just be a replacement for LaVar Arrington who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury last week.
• LB Shawn Barber, Philadelphia (0 tackles)
  Barber entered yesterday's game 2nd on the Eagles in tackles behind only starting MLB Jeremiah Trotter but he finished with 0 tackles. He normally plays in the team's nickel package, but the Jaguars had a lot of success with their running game so that could explain why McCoy got more playing time.
• LB Edgerton Hartwell, Atlanta (2 asst)
  Hartwell started his second consecutive game for the Falcons and was once again a fantasy dud. The Bengals only ran the ball 18 times and 3 of those attempts were by Carson Palmer and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Since Hartwell only plays on early downs, he's not very reliable and shouldn't be counted on for much production going forward.
• LB Brian Simmons, Cincinnati (2 solos, 1 asst)
  Thanks to the strong play of Ahmad Brooks at MLB over the past couple games, Brian Simmons was moved outside to SLB this week. If that change is permanent, his fantasy value will take a huge hit. Brooks, however, did not have a great game this week so it's possible Simmons could still be moved back inside at some point.
• DB Michael Boulware, Seattle (0 tackles)
  Boulware was replaced in the starting lineup this week by Jordan Babineaux, who finished with 5 solo tackles. Boulware may still see time in the team's nickel package, but the Seahawks defense has been struggling with allowing big plays and Babineaux is much better in coverage.
• DB Sammy Knight, Kansas City (1 solo)
  The Chiefs started the game in their nickel package to match up with the Seahawks 3-WR formation, but Knight wound up with his least productive game of the season. The Seahawks only had 18 rush attempts and Knight struggles in coverage so this was a tough matchup for him. The Chiefs have a couple of rookie safeties they like Knight probably can't afford to have too many more games like this one if he wants to hold onto his starting job.
• DB Gibril Wilson, NY Giants (3 solos, 1 asst)
  Wilson was a consensus top-5 fantasy DB before the year started and he lived up to those expectations with 23 solos in his first 3 games. He suffered a toe injury that forced him to miss a game earlier this year, however, and his production hasn't been the same since he returned. Wilson has just 9 solos combined in the last 3 games and he's yet to record a single sack or interception this season.
• DB Sheldon Brown, Philadelphia (2 asst, 1 PD)
  The Eagles cornerbacks are usually pretty reliable fantasy options but they have been struggling of late. Brown has just 1 solo and 4 assists in his last 2 games while his counterpart Lito Sheppard has just 3 solos and 2 assists. The Eagles brought in former Giant Will Peterson for a physical on Monday so it's possible that Andy Reid isn't too happy with their play either.