DL Chris Clemons, OAK (2 solos, 2 sacks, 1 FF)
Clemons got his first start of the season at DE this week and finished with
2 sacks to give him 3 over his last 2 games and a team-high 5 on the season.
Clemons is undersized and not much of a run defender, but he looks like he
could give the Raiders another pass rush threat opposite Derrick Burgess.
DL Greg White, TB (2 solos, 2 sacks, 2 FF)
White wasn't even on the Buccaneers roster at the beginning of training
camp this year since he was playing in the Arena League at the time. Sunday
was his 30th game of the year including preseason games, yet he leads the
Bucs with 4.5 sacks on the season including 3.5 coming in his last 4 games.
White is contributing mainly as a pass rush specialist but the team likes
what they've seen from him so far, and he could provide a nice tandem
along with the much more highly regarded Gaines Adams.
DL Robert Geathers, CIN (2 solos, 3 asst, 1.5 sacks)
The experiment to move Geathers to strongside linebacker appears to be over.
Geathers started at LDE this week and recorded his first sack since the season
opener. Now that he's playing a more natural position, Geathers has a
good chance to salvage the season and matchups against the Rams and 49ers
in weeks 14 and 15 look promising.
DL Michael Strahan, NYG (5 solos, 1 asst, 3 sacks)
After holding out in the preseason and then recording just 1.5 sacks in his
first 6 games, many were probably speculating that Strahan's days as
an impact player were done. Since then, however, he's been one of the
most productive fantasy linemen in the league with 15 solos and 6.5 sacks
in his last 4 games.
DL Corey Williams, GB (4 solos, 2 sacks, 2 FF)
Williams established himself as a potent pass rushing DT last year when he
finished with 7 sacks. After recording 4 sacks in his last 3 games, he now
has 6 sacks for the season and a chance to finish among the league leaders
in sacks by a DT.
LB Daryl Smith, JAX (2 solos, 1 asst)
Smith's numbers haven't been that impressive this season but his
tackle stats should get a big boost as he replaces Mike Peterson at MLB for
the rest of the season. Peterson reportedly broke his hand in several places
and is out indefinitely. Smith played MLB in college and many believe it is
a more natural position for him to play.
LB Ray Lewis, BAL (12 solos, 4 asst, 1 FR, 1 INT, 1 PD, 1 TD)
Lewis hasn't been his same dominating self in recent years but he remains
one of the best and most productive inside linebackers in the league when
healthy. Over his last 5 games, Lewis has 39 solo tackles, 17 assists, 1 sack,
1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR, and 5 passes defensed.
LB Parys Haralson, SF (4 solos, 2 asst, .5 sack)
The 49ers have turned to 2nd year pro Parys Haralson as their starting OLB
and he's been productive with 12 solos and 1.5 sacks over his last 3
games. Haralson is a converted DE who the 49ers drafted in the 5th round of
the 2006 draft.
LB Cato June, TB (9 solos, 1 FF)
Without getting many snaps in the nickel package, June has had trouble living
up to the big free agent contract he signed in Tampa this year. His game this
week against the Falcons was probably his best of the season though as his
9 solo tackles were equal to 33% of his total for the 9 previous games. Unfortunately,
June was arrested for DUI early Monday morning that could lead to an eventual
suspension sometime in the future.
LB Freddie Keiaho, IND (7 solos, 2 asst)
The player who replaced June in the Colts starting lineup this year returned
from an injury this week and had another solid statline. Although he's
not producing the big plays that June was known for, Keiaho has an impressive
31 solo tackles in the five games he's played.
LB Scott Shanle, NO (5 solos, 1 asst, 1 FF)
Shanle returned to the starting lineup after missing two games with a hamstring
injury and finished with his most productive game of the season.
LB Marcus Washington, WAS (6 solos)
Washington has had a frustrating season as he's been in and out of the
lineup while dealing with injuries. He was able to participate in a full week
of practice last week, however, and made it through the entire game with no
new problems. Although Fletcher-Baker and McIntosh have been very productive,
Washington could provide some solid production for teams who are desperate
for LB help.
DB Antrel Rolle, ARI (3 solos, 1 asst, 3 INT, 3 PD, 2 TDs)
Even though he didn't start the game, Rolle had one of the most incredible
games of the season this week. He recorded 3 interceptions and returned them
all for TDs, although the third one was called back on a penalty. Rolle is
a physical CB and former 1st round pick who has been playing well and should
win a starting job back soon.
DB Brodney Pool, CLE (2 solos, 1 asst, .5 sack, 1 INT, 1 PD, 1 TD)
Pool's fantasy potential was based on his abilities as a playmaker, which
have been somewhat underwhelming up to this point. He's been picking
it up of late, however, with 2 interceptions and a half sack over his last
2 games. The Browns have talent in the secondary but for some reason the level
of play hasn't quite lived up to the level of talent.
DB Sean Jones, CLE (5 solos, 2 asst, 1 INT, 2 PD)
Halfway through the season, Jones looked like a fantasy disappointment but
he's turned his season around lately as well. Over his last 3 games,
Jones has 15 solo tackles, 7 assists, and 2 interceptions. He's still
not producing like the top-10 fantasy DB many expected him to be but he's
not too far off.
DB Kenoy Kennedy, DET (6 solos, 2 asst, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 PD)
After not recording more than 5 solo tackles in any of his first 8 games,
Kennedy has now put up 6 solo tackles in each of the last two games. He's
also making more plays lately with 2 interceptions and a forced fumble in
his last 4 games. Kennedy was released in many leagues but looks like he could
be a viable starter in many leagues down the stretch.
DB O.J. Atogwe, STL (6 solos, 3 asst, 1 INT, 1 PD)
Atogwe is an underrated safety who finished with 65 solos, 3 interceptions,
and 5 forced fumbles a year ago. Although he has yet to record a single forced
fumble this year, he's still putting up solid tackle numbers and has
now recorded an interception in back to back games.
DB James Butler, NYG (6 solos, 2 asst, 1 FR, 1 INT, 1 PD)
Butler won the starting SS job for the Giants out of training camp this year
and has struggled at times, but had perhaps his best game of the season this
week against the Lions. He finished 2nd on the team with 6 solo tackles and
also added the first interception of his career.
DB Jason Allen, MIA (6 solos, 2 INT, 2 PD)
Allen was the Dolphins 1st round pick a year ago who was recently inserted
into the starting lineup at free safety. He's had some difficulty staying
healthy during his time in college but has shown promise of late and came
through with an impressive 6 solo, 2 interception performance against the
Eagles this week. Although he was drafted by the previous regime in Miami,
Allen should play an important role in the Dolphins secondary as long as he
can stay healthy.
Downgrades
DL James Hall, STL (1 solo)
Although he only has 2 sacks on the season, Hall had been putting up solid
tackle numbers with 26 solos in his first 8 games. In the past two weeks,
however, he's been dealing with ankle injury and has only been credited
with 1 solo and 2 assists combined. With Leonard Little being placed on IR,
Hall is the only remaining pass rush threat the Rams have so he figures to
see extra attention from blockers each week.
DL Trevor Pryce, BAL (3 solos, 1 asst)
Pryce had been playing well since returning to the lineup a couple weeks ago,
but he suffered a pectoral muscle injury this week that could end his season.
At a minimum, he's likely to miss a few weeks.
DL Rod Coleman, ATL (0 tackles)
Like many Falcons players, Coleman has had a very frustrating season. After
missing the first 5 games while recovering from injuries, he returned to the
lineup a little over a month ago. After a few ineffective games when he played
at less than 100%, Coleman exploded with 3 solos, 2 sacks, and a forced fumble
last week against the Panthers. This week, however, Coleman suffered potentially
serious hand and triceps injuries and could be forced to miss the rest of
the season.
DL Kenechi Udeze, MIN (1 solo, 1 asst)
Udeze had 4 sacks in his first 7 games, but has gone sackless in the three
games since then. His tackle numbers are also very disappointing for a starting
DE. He's finished with 1 or fewer solo tackles in 6 of 10 games this
year and has just 19 solos total.
DL Mark Anderson, CHI (1 solo)
Although he remains the starter in Chicago, Anderson continues to struggle.
He's now failed to record a sack for 6 straight games and has just 3
solo tackles over his last 4 games. The Bears defense as a whole has not been
nearly as impressive this year as it was a year ago, but Anderson's play
is certainly part of the problem.
DL Shaun Rogers, DET (0 tackles)
After recording one of the most impressive plays of the season when he ran
an interception back for a TD a few weeks ago, Rogers has been limited to
just 1 assisted tackle and 0 solo stops over the past 2 games. He did record
a fumble recovery last week against Arizona but clearly hasn't been his
normal dominant self lately. The upcoming schedule looks pretty difficult
as well so it might not be a bad idea to look for some other options in DT-required
leagues.
DL Jevon Kearse, PHI (DNP)
The Eagles announced last week that Kearse would be replaced in the starting
lineup by Juqua Thomas who has been much more effective than him this year
despite playing fewer snaps. Kearse has been having knee problems, which resulted
in him being declared inactive and could lead to his outright release once
the season ends.
LB Mathias Kiwanuka, NYG (1 asst)
Kiwanuka had made a successful transition from DE to SLB this year, but he
suffered a broken leg this week that will almost certainly end his season.
He remains a promising player for next season in dynasty leagues with sack-heavy
scoring systems.
LB Mike Peterson, JAX (5 solos, 1 asst)
Peterson suffered a broken hand in the game this week and is expected to miss
at least a few games while he recovers. If he does wind up going on IR, this
would be the second season in a row that his season was cut short with an
injury. The Jaguars may want to consider swapping him with the bigger Daryl
Smith, but that may depend on how well Smith does while filling in for Peterson
in the weeks ahead.
LB Derek Smith, SF (2 asst)
Smith has been a very productive starting ILB for most of his time in the
league, but his play and production has been falling off of late with just
5 solos and 3 assists over his last 3 games. He could see fewer snaps in favor
of Jeff Ulbrich, who has already been replacing him in the nickel package,
as the 49ers wind down another disappointing season.
LB Shawne Merriman, SD (1 solo, 1 PD)
After recording 17 sacks in 12 games last year and then 5.5 sacks in his first
6 games this year, Merriman has gone sackless for 4 straight games. Even more
disappointing is the way he was blown up on a highlight reel block by 5'7"
RB Maurice Jones-Drew this week on a play that led to a TD for the Jaguars.
Merriman just hasn't been the same dominant player over the past month
that we've been used to seeing.
LB Na'il Diggs, CAR (1 asst)
Diggs has been putting up some solid numbers with 25 solos over his previous
5 games but he finished with just 1 assisted tackle this week. Diggs doesn't
play in the team's nickel package, which could lead to poor numbers when
the Panthers face passing teams like the Packers this week, or the Saints
next week.
DB Eric Wright, CLE (0 tackles)
Wright has been one of the most productive DBs in the league this year and
was coming off a 12-solo performance a week ago. However, he left the game
early this week with a knee injury and did not return. Early reports suggest
that he's unlikely to play this week and may miss more time depending
on the results of an MRI.
DB Aaron Ross, NYG (0 tackles)
Ross has had an impressive rookie season for the Giants (3 interceptions and
1.5 sacks) but his production has dipped considerably in recent weeks. He
has just 4 solos over his last 3 games, including 0 against the pass-happy
Lions this week.
DB Antonio Cromartie, SD (0 tackles)
Cromartie came into the game against the Jaguars this week as perhaps the
hottest IDP in the league. He had recorded 6 interceptions, 3 TD returns,
and 9 passes defensed over his past 4 games. While Cromartie did start the
game for the Chargers this week, he was held off the statsheet completely
as the Jaguars finished with just 15 completions on 24 pass attempts.
DB Pierson Prioleau, WAS (1 solo)
Prioleau was expected to start at FS in place of an injured Sean Taylor, but
that honor went to special teamer Reed Doughty instead. It didn't work
out too well though as Doughty was flagged for a 51-yard pass interference
call on Patrick Crayton and was burned repeatedly by Terrell Owens on his
way to a 4-TD performance. Prioleau is a better run defender than pass defender,
so the Redskins may try to platoon both safeties until Taylor returns.
DB Brian Russell, SEA (2 solos)
The Seahawks have been happy with Russell's play this year, but it hasn't
been showing up on the statsheet in recent weeks. Over his last 4 games, he's
failed to record a single pass defensed and has finished with 2 or fewer solo
tackles in 3 of them. With the Rams, Eagles, and Cardinals coming up next
on the schedule, perhaps he'll get more chances to make some plays.
DB Mark Roman, SF (2 solos)
Roman remains the starting FS in San Francisco but you wouldn't really
know it from looking at his statistics. So far this year, Roman has failed
to record a single interception and he's only been credited with 3 passes
defensed (none since week 5). Given the way the season is going, it's
surprising the 49ers don't give another chance to Keith Lewis who provided
a big spark for the defense a year ago.
