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UPGRADES
DE Wallace Gilberry, CIN (3 solos, 1 asst, 2 sacks, 1 FF)
With starting RDE Michael Johnson sitting out this week while recovering from a concussion, Gilberry got an unusual start and responded with a very impressive outing against the Patriots. The Bengals defensive line consistently disrupted plays and harassed Brady into one of his worst outings in awhile. Gilberry contributed with a pair of sacks, a forced fumble, and a few other QB hits or hurries in the game. He posted 6 sacks in a reserve role last year and should earn more playing time with this effort.
DE Ahtyba Rubin, CLE (5 solos, 3 asst, 1 sack)
The former DT has made a nice transition to DE in the Browns new 3-4 defense and has helped make them one of the toughest teams to run against. After missing a couple games to injury at the start of the year, Rubin has seen his playing time steadily increase and his production is rising as well. He posted 4 solo tackles a week ago and then followed that up with an 8 tackle game with a sack in Thursday night’s game against the Bills. He’s not quite as valuable with a DE designation in DT-required leagues, but should finish with very solid tackle numbers and possibly a handful of sacks.
DE Ropati Pitoitua, TEN (3 solos, 1 asst, 1 sack)
Pitoitua has started 4 of 5 games for the Titans at RDE this year and has been perhaps their most efficient lineman. Despite playing in approximately a third of the snaps last week, he still managed to collect a pair of sacks. Then he followed that up with another strong outing this week in a tight game with the Chiefs. The 4th year player is strong against the run and has at least 3 solo tackles in all but 1 game while also showing some improvement as a pass rusher. Worth keeping an eye on in deeper leagues and possibly making a move for if you are in need of reinforcements at DE.
DT Jared Odrick, MIA (5 solos, 1 asst, 1 PD)
The former 1st round pick was not a good fit playing outside at DE but he has found new life since being moved inside to DT this year. He had a great outing last week against the Saints with 5 tackles and a sack and then followed that up with another strong effort against the Ravens this week. He is playing in a rotation with Randy Starks and NT Paul Soliai but has looked very good and is putting up tackle numbers that make him a reliable starter in DT-required leagues.
ILB Daryl Washington, ARI (8 solos, 1 asst, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 1 PD)
Washington made a huge splash on Sunday in his first game of the year after sitting out a 4-game suspension. He was in the starting lineup and began making plays right from the very beginning, before finishing things off with a huge interception in the 4th quarter that helped Arizona put the game away. He showed no signs of rust as a blitzer while adding a pair of sacks in the game, and looks like he can safely be counted on for LB1 production the rest of the way. Surprisingly, his return didn’t even hurt the numbers of fellow ILB Karlos Dansby, who put up nearly identical numbers in the game and showed that there’s enough plays to go around for both of them.
OLB Terrell Suggs, BAL (5 solos, 3 asst, 3 sacks)
Although he has always been an elite fantasy option as a DE, Suggs didn’t typically post the splashy sack numbers that some of his peers have been known for. After missing most of last year to injury, however, he’s on pace to change that. With 3 sacks of Ryan Tannehill on Sunday, Suggs now has posted at least 1 sack in all 5 games of the year and is up to 7. The streak might come to an end next week against the Packers but he’s showing that he can still be a valuable fantasy LB and is likely someone you need to keep in your lineup every week at this point.
OLB Lance Briggs, CHI (11 solos, 3 asst, 1 sack)
The Bears defense has sprung some leaks in recent weeks but Briggs remains an anchor for them. Despite facing an offense in the Saints that had been very stingy for LB production, he managed to come up with 14 combined tackles in the game as well as his 2nd sack of the year. Briggs has never finished with more than 3 sacks in a year but he has 2 in his last 3 games along with 25 solo tackles and 9 assists. While he hasn’t generally been a great source of big play numbers throughout his career, Briggs is finding ways to make more plays this year and has been a very reliable LB2.
OLB Nick Perry, GB (5 solos, 2 sacks, 1 FF)
Perry had been a disappointment so far but he’s only 23 years old and showed up on Sunday with the first 2-sack game of his career. It was an encouraging sign for the Packers who look like they will be without Clay Matthews for about a month after he suffered a broken thumb. Perry is expected to fill in for Matthews at ROLB so look for him to get plenty of opportunity to show what he is capable of.
ILB Brandon Spikes, NE (7 solos, 5 asst, 1 INT, 1 PD)
What a difference a week makes. Last week, most owners were probably more than willing to write off Spikes when he got just 6 snaps in a Patriots victory over the Falcons. This week with a matchup against the Bengals, Spikes was back in the starting lineup and played close to an everydown role. He was dominant against the run and finished with an amazing 12 combined tackles. Perhaps more importantly, he picked off a pass intended for Tyler Eifert in the red zone, which might encourage the coaches to give him more responsibility in coverage situations and allow him to stay on the field.
S Will Hill, NYG (11 solos)
After returning from a 4-game suspension, Hill wound up starting and playing every snap against the spread offense of the Eagles. He was very good against the run and also held up well in coverage so he helped provide a bit of a spark for a defense that has been one of the biggest disappointments in the league. Don’t overreact too much here, however, as he was part of a 3-safety nickel package and may not see as much playing time in a more traditional matchup.
S Jonathan Cyprien, JAX (13 solos)
While it’s unlikely that Cyprien will be available in most dynasty leagues, he is the type of player you really need to be aware of as he could become an IDP star. There isn’t a lot of talent around him in Jacksonville to compete for tackles but Cyprien is at his best playing up in the box. He showed that off on Sunday as he posted a breakout line with 13 solo tackles, which is almost as many as he had in the previous 4 weeks. He’s already a solid #2 safety with the potential to be a clear #1 if he can improve his consistency and continue to make more big plays (has 2 forced fumbles and a sack on the year).
S Devin McCourty, NE (8 solos, 4 asst, 1 FF)
McCourty looked like he was playing a lot of deep coverage early in the year when he posted just 4 solo tackles over the first 3 weeks. He has gotten much more involved over the past two weeks, however, with 14 solo tackles and 7 assists along with a pair of forced fumbles. Next week the Saints come to town so look for McCourty to be tested often again, particularly if they match him up against Jimmy Graham at all.
S Morgan Burnett, GB (3 solos, 2 asst, 1 PD)
Burnett was considered to be the #1 fantasy safety in the league or close to it coming into this season. He has put up some great numbers the past couple seasons with all the turnover at ILB in Green Bay and should pick up where he left off after sitting out the first month of the year. Although the game this week didn’t provide much of a test as Calvin Johnson was missing from the Lions lineup, Burnett managed to play every snap. That’s a good sign and we should see some better numbers for him next week in Baltimore.
CB Darius Butler, IND (2 solos, 1 INT, 2 PD)
There aren’t a lot of corners who you can rely on for every week production but Butler has strung together a nice couple of games after a slow start. He posted 6 solos and an interception last week in an easy win over the Jaguars, but then followed that up with another interception this week in a huge win over the Seahawks. The Chargers are next week’s matchup and figure to be throwing the ball early and often so Butler could be a nice plug and play this week.
DOWNGRADES
DE Derrick Morgan, TEN (1 asst)
Morgan was expected to have a breakout season this year after being a disappointment for much of his career. It got off to a great start with a sack in each of the first two games, but he has gone cold since then with just 2 solos and 3 assists to show for it. He has been getting some pressure on opposing QBs so some of it is likely bad luck, but fantasy owners are likely getting frustrated. It isn’t going to help that he was forced to leave the game this week with a shoulder injury and only wound up playing a little less than half the snaps so be careful before starting him against Seattle next week.
DE Desmond Bryant, CLE (2 asst)
Bryant got a lot of attention as one of the league’s better offseason signings as he got off to a great start in Cleveland with 3.5 sacks in the first 3 games. He’s been a dominant force up front, but the return of Athya Rubin seems to have coincided with a drop in his production. He also was forced to leave the game early this week and was taken to the hospital with shortness of breath, but it sounds like he was back at practice on Monday.
DE Jason Babin, JAX (1 solo)
Babin had a very rough stretch of games in Philadelphia last year and was eventually released. He tried to resurrect his career in Jacksonville, but he’s not getting much help given how bad the team around him is. Babin posted a couple of sacks on the year but he was a no-show this week as Jake Long and the Rams made him look old. At 33 years of age, he may not have enough left to stick around for a rebuilding process and he was already a pretty weak run defender as it is.
DT Nick Fairley, DET (1 solo)
Fairley was expected to team up with fellow DT Ndamakong Suh to each provide top-5 DT production in the middle of the Lions defensive line this year. Suh is playing great but Fairley has gone quiet since a great opening game against the Vikings. His solo tackle this week was the only one he’s been credited with in the past 3 weeks and he’s not really creating much pass rush pressure either. He missed week 2 with a shoulder injury so perhaps that is bothering him still.
ILB Bobby Wagner, SEA (1 solo, 1 asst)
Wagner had a breakout rookie campaign last year when he finished among the most productive linebackers in the league. He’s having a rough go of things so far in 2013 though. He had just 15 solo tackles in 4 games prior to this week and he’s yet to pick up a sack or forced fumble. Wagner played an everydown role this week but finished with just 2 combined tackles in a tough loss to the Colts. It sounds like he was playing through an ankle injury, which could keep him out next week in a game with Chris Johnson and the Titans. It’s looking like he can only be considered a LB3 at best right now, but obviously he’s young and talented enough that he could bounce back once he’s fully healthy.
OLB Zach Brown, TEN (1 solo, 1 asst)
Brown has shown flashes of his ability this year with a few big games, but he’s also had a couple of clunkers. His numbers this week were limited by the fact that he was knocked out with a knee injury pretty early. He tried to come back and play through the injury but he wasn’t quite as effective. So, keep an eye on his injury status before putting him back out there next week.
ILB Wesley Woodyard, DEN (2 solos)
Woodyard hasn’t been quite as productive in the middle of the Broncos defense this year as he was playing WLB for them last year. He may be slightly undersized to hold up under the full-time MLB role, but it’s not like a lot of teams are going to be running against Denver considering how many points their offense is putting up each week. Regardless, he suffered a shoulder injury in the first half this week and missed the second half as the Cowboys gave Denver their biggest scare of the year. Keep a watch on the injury report, but next week’s matchup with Jacksonville might be a good time to sit him anyway.
OLB Bruce Carter, DAL (4 solos)
Carter lost his spot in the starting lineup this week in favor of veteran Ernie Sims but they still basically wound up playing about half the snaps each. Carter is the better athlete so he should be better in coverage than Sims, but it looks like neither player has much value until the situation resolves itself. Carter’s potential upside makes him worth holding onto if you can afford the roster space, but the outlook is clearly dimming a bit.
S Antrel Rolle, NYG (1 asst, 1 PD)
Despite playing the entire game this week against a team in the Eagles who loves to attack downfield, Rolle only managed 1 assist and pass deflection. Meanwhile, Will Hill came into the lineup and piled up double digit solo tackles. Something seems off with Rolle this year as he has not been as productive as usual, although the same could be said about almost everyone on the team. Without an effective pass rush up front though, he’s unlikely to become more than a matchup or desperation play.
S Reggie Nelson, CIN (1 asst, 1 FR)
After sitting out week 4 with an injury, Nelson was back in the starting lineup against the Patriots this week but he didn’t have a whole lot to show for it. He’s only been credited with 3 solo tackles and 4 assisted tackles in 4 games started so far so it looks like he should likely be benched. Next week’s matchup against the Bills certainly looks very tempting, but Nelson just hasn’t shown much of anything all year.
CB Tim Jennings, CHI (1 solo, 1 PD)
Coming off an incredible year when he picked off 9 passes and was one of the best corners in the league, Jennings has come back to earth a bit of late. He looked great to open the season but was victimized repeatedly over the past few weeks as the Bears have started to slip. With just 4 solo tackles and no interceptions over the past 3 weeks, it would normally be time to bench him but Eli Manning has a chance to turn things around next week.
CB Chris Houston, DET (2 solos, 1 asst)
Houston was one of the hottest corners in the league a few weeks ago but he’s been banged up of late and his numbers have tanked as a result. The reports on his injury have been somewhat vague but it seems like he’s going to try and play through it. Probably not a bad idea to sit him if you can, at least until he starts to show better results.