Week 16 IDP Upgrades and Downgrades

Upgrades

DE Tyler Brayton, CAR (5 solos, 0 assists, 1 sacks 0 FF, 1 FR, 0 INT, 1 PD) - Brayton is a former 1st round pick who never lived up to expectations in Oakland, but he's getting a second chance in Carolina and making the most of it. In a game when Julius Peppers was held off the stat sheet, Brayton finished with 5 solos and a sack. He now has 8 solos and 2 sacks in his last 2 games. His fantasy upside is pretty limited in big play leagues, but he could have some value in deeper leagues with tackle-heavy scoring.

DE Shaun Ellis, NYJ (6 solos, 5 assists, 0 sacks 0 FF, 1 FR, 0 INT, 0 PD) - Ellis has quietly played a big role in the turnaround of the Jets defense. Although he's the longest-tenured player on the team, he is having the best year he's had in awhile. In a huge win over the Bills this week, Ellis finished with 11 tackles and he made the play of the game when he picked up a late fumble and ran it in for the winning touchdown.

DE Tamba Hali, KC (5 solos, 0 assists, 2 sacks 2 FF, 1 FR, 0 INT, 0 PD) - Ellis has quietly played a big role in the turnaround of the Jets defense. Although he's the longest-tenured player on the team, he is having the best year he's had in awhile. In a huge win over the Bills this week, Ellis finished with 11 tackles and he made the play of the game when he picked up a late fumble and ran it in for the winning touchdown.

DE Trevor Scott, OAK (4 solos, 1 assists, 2 sacks 0 FF, 0 FR, 0 INT, 0 PD) - Scott was an unheralded 6th round pick out of Buffalo who has been a very pleasant surprise for the Raiders this year. He had his second 2-sack game of the season this week and now has 5 sacks in his last 9 games. As a comparison, Derrick Burgess, meanwhile, has just 1.5 sacks in the 8 games he has played this year.

ILB Stephen Cooper, SD (9 solos, 2 assists, 0 sacks 0 FF, 0 FR, 1 INT, 2 PD) - Along with D'Qwell Jackson in Cleveland, Cooper has joined the group of stud fantasy linebackers who happen to play ILB in a 3-4 defense. Cooper is averaging 6 solos and 2 assists per game, which would put him on pace for 128 combined tackles if he kept up that pace over a full 16-game schedule. He's also shown good range in coverage and soft hands with 3 interceptions and 4 passes defensed over the past two weeks.

ILB Paris Lenon, DET (12 solos, 4 assists, 0 sacks 0 FF, 0 FR, 0 INT, 0 PD) - While the Lions continue to struggle, Lenon is doing just about all he can to try and avoid a winless season. Over his last two games, Lenon has been credited with 18 solo tackles, 8 assists, half a sack, and 2 forced fumbles. As bad as the Lions have played, Jordon Dizon was not able to work his way into the lineup, which could bode well for Lenon's chances next year. There will likely be a lot of changes in Detroit after this season, however, so it's hard to know exactly what to expect.

OLB Calvin Pace, NYJ (6 solos, 2 assists, 2 sacks 1 FF, 0 FR, 0 INT, 0 PD) - Although he didn't come cheap, Pace is certainly turning out to be one of the year's best free agent signings. He finished the game against the Bills this week with 8 tackles (6 solos), while also contributing 2 sacks and a forced fumble. His tackle numbers are well off the big numbers he put up in 2007 with the Cardinals, but he's surpassed his sack total and provided exactly the type of impact the Jets were looking for.

OLB Demarcus Ware, DAL (6 solos, 1 assists, 3 sacks 2 FF, 0 FR, 0 INT, 0 PD) - Ware continues to impress. In a must-win game for the Cowboys against one of the best offensive lines and least-sacked QBs in the league, Ware finished with 6 solo tackles, 3 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. He now has 19 sacks on the year and a solid chance to beat the NFL record of 22.5 sacks in a single season. He has only failed to record a sack in 1 game so far this year and he will probably set a career-high for solo tackles as well.

OLB Coy Wire, ATL (11 solos, 2 assists, 0 sacks 0 FF, 0 FR, 0 INT, 1 PD) - Wire spent the first 6 years of his career before signing with the Falcons this year. He started his career as a safety but was a liability in coverage and eventually moved to linebacker, the same position he played in college. Wire contributed as a special teams player for most of this year, but the Falcons made a very surprising move and inserted him into the lineup this week in place of SLB Michael Boley. Boley continued to see time as part of the nickel package, but Wire played enough to finish with 8 solo tackles and a pass defense. It's tough to imagine him sustaining this type of production, but he's certainly worthy of an upgrade.

CB Brandon Flowers, KC (10 solos, 0 assists, 0 sacks 1 FF, 0 FR, 0 INT, 1 PD) - Flowers hasn't put up the type of numbers that some IDP owners were hoping for considering he has finished with 3 or fewer solo tackles in 6 of 12 games this year. However, he has also flashed his potential with some very big games as well. Over his last 2 games, Flowers has 17 solo tackles, a forced fumble, and 3 passes defensed. Inconsistency is not surprising for a young player, especially a corner playing on a team with no pass rush, so look for him to become a much more reliable option in 2009.

CB Terence Newman, DAL (5 solos, 1 assists, 0 sacks 0 FF, 0 FR, 2 INT, 2 PD) - Newman's return to the lineup has had a big impact on the entire Cowboys defense and he's also been one of the most productive fantasy CBs as well, In the 5 games since coming back from injury, Newman has been credited with 20 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 8 passes defensed.

S Josh Barrett, DEN (5 solos, 2 assists, 0 sacks 0 FF, 0 FR, 1 INT, 1 PD) - Barrett is a rookie 7th round draft pick who received a start at SS this week for the Broncos. Although Steve Smith had his way with the Broncos secondary and DeAngelo Williams broke a big run to help put the game away, Barrett played pretty well and could help solidify a secondary that has been struggling all season long. Barrett finished with 7 tackles, including 1 for a loss, and also picked off Jake Delhomme in what was probably the highlight of the night for the Broncos. He has a favorable matchup coming up this week against the Bills and could help win a starting job next year with a strong finish.

S Tanard Jackson, TB (6 solos, 1 assists, 1 sacks 1 FF, 0 FR, 0 INT, 0 PD) - SS Jermaine Phillips re-broke his arm this week, which will allow Sabby Piscitelli to reenter the starting lineup at SS. However, the player who seems most likely to benefit is probably Jackson. He has averaged 5 solos per game over his past 6 games while also contributing a sack, 2 forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery during that same stretch.

S Reggie Nelson, JAX (5 solos, 0 assists, 0 sacks 0 FF, 0 FR, 1 INT, 1 PD) - Nelson enjoyed a breakout season as a rookie last year when he picked off 5 passes, but he got off to a slow start this year before missing time with an injury. Since returning to the lineup, he's shown some flashes of his playmaking ability with 2 interceptions in his last 5 games and he's also put up some of his best tackle numbers as well. The Jaguars placed a big emphasis on upgrading their pass rush in the draft this year, and Nelson may be the main beneficiary if those high picks live up to expectations next season.

Downgrades

DT Albert Haynesworth, TEN (4 solos, 0 assists, 0 sacks 0 FF, 1 FR, 0 INT, 0 PD) - Haynesworth has been one of the best defensive players in the league this year, but it looks like he won't be available to contribute to any key fantasy playoff games the next two weeks. He suffered a sprained MCL on Sunday and will sit out the next couple weeks in hopes of returning for the playoffs.

DE Robert Mathis, IND (0 solos, 0 assists, 0 sacks 0 FF, 0 FR, 0 INT, 0 PD) - Mathis entered the game against the Lions this week as one of the hottest players in the league. He had recorded 6 sacks in his previous 3 games and the Colts were facing a team who had given up more sacks than any other team in the league. It looked like a dream matchup. Unfortunately, the Lions offensive line completely neutralized both Mathis and Freeney as neither of them came close to recording a sack and neither recorded even a single tackle.

DE Aaron Schobel, BUF - It has been a wasted season for Schobel who hasn't played since week 5. The Bills placed him on injured reserve this week with a foot injury that is being described as a Lisfranc injury. This is the same type of injury that Dwight Freeney suffered last year and it could still require surgery if it doesn't heal on its own.

DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, TEN - After recording 1.5 sacks in his first two games back, Vanden Bosch aggravated a groin injury in week 14 and was forced to miss the game this week. Then, on Monday, Coach Fisher revealed that Vanden Bosch would have some minor groin surgery which will keep him out for the rest of the regular season but they hope he will be able to play in the playoffs.

OLB Xavier Adibi, HOU (1 solos, 1 assists, 0 sacks 0 FF, 0 FR, 0 INT, 0 PD) - After bursting on the scene with a 14-solo performance in week 11, Adibi has only collected 12 solo tackles in the 4 games since then. Making matters worse, he only finished with 1 solo tackle this week after leaving early with a groin injury that is expected to keep him out for the rest of the regular season. He should still have a good chance to enter 2009 as the starting WLB.

OLB Michael Boley, ATL (0 solos, 0 assists, 0 sacks 0 FF, 0 FR, 0 INT, 0 PD) - Boley lost his starting spot at SLB this week to backup Coy Wire. Boley continued to play in the team's nickel package with Keith Brooking and finished with 4 solo tackles, but it appears the coaching staff isn't happy with his play this year. He may not be a great fit in the team's new defense after enjoying a breakout season last year. Boley is headed for unrestricted free agency after this season so he might be better off going somewhere else if he can't turn things around in the next few weeks.

OLB Rocky McIntosh, WAS (2 solos, 0 assists, 0 sacks 0 FF, 0 FR, 0 INT, 0 PD) - McIntosh has managed to stay surprisingly healthy for much of this season but he's apparently starting to have knee problems and the Redskins wound up sitting him for much of the game this week. It's unclear if it was health or performance-based, but his production has been generally underwhelming lately.

OLB Daryl Smith, JAX (5 solos, 1 assists, 0 sacks 0 FF, 0 FR, 0 INT, 0 PD) - Smith has taken over as the starting MLB in Jacksonville this year, but he hasn't been as productive as the player he replaced. Unfortunately, Smith suffered a groin injury this week and has already been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Colts. This will give Mike Peterson a chance to play against his former team and showcase himself for when he becomes a free agent after the season.

OLB Wesley Woodyard, DEN (1 solos, 1 assists, 0 sacks 0 FF, 0 FR, 0 INT, 0 PD) - After putting up 39 solo tackles in 5 games, Woodyard lost his spot in the starting lineup this week when DJ Williams returned to action. He saw some playing time as a 4th linebacker this week and the team has said he could see time at strong safety in the weeks ahead, but it looks like his value will take a big hit unless there's another injury to the LB crew.

CB Maurice Leggett, KC - Leggett is an undrafted free agent who has been one of the few bright spots for the Chiefs this year. He filled in admirably for Brandon Flowers earlier this year and had scored a touchdown in the previous two games, but he was kept out of the game this week with a shoulder injury. Patrick Surtain also returned to action this week, which could make for a crowded secondary and make it tough for Leggett to see many snaps in the last two games.

S Corey Chavous, STL (1 solos, 0 assists, 0 sacks 0 FF, 0 FR, 0 INT, 0 PD) - Chavous lost his starting job to Todd Johnson. Chavous is a reliable veteran but he's 32 years old and no longer has the range he once did. Neither player is very exciting from a fantasy standpoint.

S Jermaine Phillips, TB (9 solos, 3 assists, 0 sacks 1 FF, 0 FR, 0 INT, 0 PD) - Phillips suffered a broken right arm in the game this week and will be placed on injured reserve. He broke his left arm earlier in the season and missed five games while recovering. He had been playing very well since returning to the lineup and could attract some interest in free agency this offseason. Sabby Piscitelli will take over at SS for the rest of this year.

S Bob Sanders, IND - Sanders was listed as questionable with a knee injury this week and was expected to play. However, with the Colts facing the winless Lions this week, they decided to rest him and hopefully keep him healthy for more important games in the future. This obviously is the risk you take with a player like Sanders, who has missed all but 5 games so far this year.