[cheatsheets] #137 Week 12 Upgrades - Downgrades ,
 Let's jump right into our Upgraded and  Downgraded Players.? As we head dow=
n=20
the home stretch, identifying  those players moving up or down can be the=
=20
difference between making the  playoffs or watching from the sidelines.?  A=
s=20
we head into our 13th week of listing these players, it=01,s  inevitable th=
at=20
some players will have made both the upgrade or downgrade  list.? Make sure=
=20
you understand,  what we=01,re talking about is players that are moving.? I=
n=20
other words, a player like TE Chad  Lewis could appear on the downgrade lis=
t=20
and still be good enough to be a  starter in your league.? It just  means I=
=01,m=20
concerned about the way he seems to be heading.? Likewise, a player like WR=
=20
Willie  Jackson may make the upgrade list even though he=01,s still fairly =
far=20
down the  list of WRs.? It=01,s all about which  direction players are movi=
ng.? =20
Keeping an eye on these trends can very often make all the  difference.

Joe

?

Upgrades and  Downgrades.? Some of these  players are obvious moves up or=
=20
down and some aren't as clear.? Here's my  list of guys I see moving this=
=20
week.

?

QBs Moving Up

QB Gus Frerotte (Den)? You have  to love Frerotte stepping in and performin=
g=20
like he did.? Of course, when  you throw the ball 58 times, good things oft=
en=20
happen.? When you throw the  ball 58 times with a 62% completion percentage=
,=20
great things happen.? Look  for more of the same.

QB Kerry Collins (NYG)? The  Giants may be struggling but Collins continues=
=20
to put up excellent Fantasy  Football numbers.? With guys like Kurt Warner=
=20
and Daunte Culpepper, it's  easy to get into the mindset that great FF QBs=
=20
come from great teams.? Not  always the case as Collins is showing.? Often=
=20
times, it's teams with  vulnerable defenses like New York or San Francisco=
=20
that provides the QB  motivation to play catch-up.? Collins looks comfortab=
le=20
in the pocket and  if he ever goes a game with both Amani Toomer and Ike=20
Hilliard healthy for four  quarters, who knows what might happen.

QB Brett Favre (GB)? He's  baaaaack.? I said last week that Favre coming ba=
ck=20
on the bad foot would be  storybook material for a storybook kind of guy an=
d=20
Favre delivered.? 2 TDs  and 301 yards have the Packers riding high and=20
believing they can?make some  noise.? WR Bill Schroeder is becoming an=20
excellent #2 WR and RB Ahman Green  is filling the void left by Dorsey=20
Levens.?=20

QB Aaron Brooks (NO)? I may be  in the minority (imagine that...) but I was=
=20
very impressed with Brooks taking  over for Jeff Blake.? He was not a #2 QB=
=20
like Jim Miller in Chicago that  knew he'd be inserted any minute.? Brooks=
=20
was thrust into the game and  responded very nicely.? He's skinny at #205 b=
ut=20
tall (6' 4")? Big  league arm and nice mobility.? Of particular note was hi=
s=20
tendency to throw  to WR Willie Jackson.? We'll see if that continues.? Sur=
e,=20
he's a long  shot but if you're desperate for a QB, he could be a nice =20
surprise.

QB Ryan Leaf (SD)? Hold the  presses, Ryan Leaf makes a Joe Bryant Upgrade=
=20
list.? Seriously, he's an  easy target and I'll admit to taking my share of=
=20
shots but you can't deny the  guy has skills.? Yes, there were some fluky=
=20
plays with Crockett injuring  himself on the long TD but I liked what I saw=
.?=20
(although the 3 TDs on 13  completions did make for a wild looking box scor=
e=20
for Leaf)? He's got some  weapons in Jeff Graham, Curtis Conway and his bes=
t=20
receiver, TE Freddie  Jones.? He's as flaky as they come but he might be=20
worth a look if you're  dying at QB.

?

RBs Moving Up

RB Fred Taylor (Jac)? Taylor  put together one of the best performances of=
=20
the year Sunday night.? The  fact that he did it against the very tough rus=
h=20
defense of the Steelers makes it  even all the more impressive.? This isn't=
=20
like rolling up 200 yards on the  Cowboys or Cardinals.? Clearly, there's=
=20
reason for huge hope as if he can  do this against Pittsburgh, he can do it=
=20
against anyone.

RB Jamal Lewis (Bal)? Once  again, Lewis ran hard.? He's got to be consider=
ed=20
one of the better RBs in  the game right now.? I still worry about how=20
durable he'll be but he's  looked great lately averaging 6.7 yards per carr=
y=20
Sunday for 187 yards.? If  it weren't for that pesky Priest Holmes vulturin=
g=20
a TD here and there, he'd be  even higher.

RB Darnell Autry (Phi)? Autry  refuses to hand over the #1 RB job to Stanle=
y=20
Pritchett or anyone else.?  He's not very flashy but he gets the job done=
=20
both rushing and receiving.?  The Eagles are suddenly looking very good in=
=20
the standings and Autry figures to  be a large part of that success.

RB Ahman Green (GB)? I'd be a  little worried right now if I were Dorsey=20
Levens.? Green averaged 6.4 yards  per carry Sunday as he rolled up 180 tot=
al=20
yards.? Most importantly, was  his number of fumbles: Zero.? No one's ever=
=20
doubted his incredible physical  skills, but now he seems to be bringing th=
e=20
mental game to go with  it.

RB Mike Anderson (Den)? I hate  to say it but Terrell Davis is doing a grea=
t=20
impression of Isaac Bruce's  maddening 1998 on again, off again season.? As=
=20
you know, Davis missed  another game and once again, Anderson stepped in=20
nicely.?? By now, you  know it's tough to predict what Davis is going to do=
=20
each week so it looks to me  as if Anderson could be a very nice pickup.

RB Jamal Anderson (Atl)?  Anderson's 4.5 yards per carry reminded many of h=
is=20
1998 season.? He's  running with power and speed and finally appears to be=
=20
over the knee  injury.? I think he's been over it physically for a while no=
w=20
but it seems  he's handling the mental aspect too.

?

WRs Moving Up

WR Willie Jackson (NO)? New QB  Aaron Brooks did a nice job after being=20
thrust onto the scene and Willie Jackson  responded well with 4 catches and=
=20
85 yards including 2 TDs.? Often times,  you'll see a backup QB favor the=
=20
backup WRs as they're familiar with them.?  We'll see if this continues.? I=
'm=20
guessing Brooks will get comfortable  throwing to Joe Horn this week but=20
Jackson is still definitely worth a  shot.

WR Joe Jurevicius (NYG)? As I  mentioned above, QB Kerry Collins is playing=
=20
very well. With Ike Hilliard set to  miss some time, Jurevicius should get =
a=20
chance to show what he can do.?  He's long been a Fantasy Football tease=20
showing flashes but never really having  the opportunity for playing time.?=
=20
Let's see what he can  do.

WR Terry Glenn (NE)? I've  been?high on Glenn since June.? He made me look=
=20
good early on but had  cooled midseason.? He's now back warming up again an=
d=20
for you Glenn owners,  your patience is paying off.? QB Drew Bledsoe didn't=
=20
have a TD, but he did  roll up the yards.? Once again, Glenn was the prime =
=20
target.

WR Jimmy Smith (Jac)? Smith  looks to be back along with RB Fred Taylor as=
=20
the Jags awakened their  offense?Sunday night.? Smith seems back in synch=
=20
with QB Mark Brunell  and the threat of Taylor helps open the passing game.=
?=20
There may not be  enough balls to go around but you can bet there are enoug=
h=20
for  Smith.

WR James McNight (Dal)? Yes,  he's a long shot considering the horrid play =
of=20
Troy Aikman Sunday but you have  to like a WR who's getting a ton of looks.=
?=20
And McNight's getting those  looks from Aikman.? Can't make plays without t=
he=20
ball...

?

TEs Moving Up

TE Jay Reimersma (Buf)? We've  been waiting for Reimersma to return to form=
=20
and he looks to be on his  way.? He was heavily involved and seemed=20
comfortable with "new" QB Rob  Johnson.? He can be a vital part of the=20
offense and you have to think  Johnson will continue to utilize him.

TE Kris Mangum (Car)? Mangum's  no Wesley Walls yet but he does make for a=
=20
nice target.? 4 catches for 47  yards is an improvement from what they've h=
ad=20
at TE and it looks like he's back  and healthy now.

?

Players Moving  Down

?

QBs Moving Down

QB Steve Beuerlein (Car)?  There's only so much a QB can do by himself.? He=
=20
lost Wesley Walls a couple  of weeks ago. I thought Beuerlein could handle=
=20
losing Tshimanga Biakabutuka but  losing WR Donald Hayes with a groin injur=
y=20
proved too much.? His OL is less  than stellar and he's just not having muc=
h=20
time to throw.? =20

QB Shaun King (TB)? King swings  back toward the side of mediocrity after a=
=20
91 yard passing effort against  Chicago.? It looked that bad too.? Even for=
 a=20
Les Steckel  Offense.? Losing Mike Alstott for several weeks will not be a=
=20
positive as  teams now can key on Warrick Dunn and Keyshawn Johnson.

QB Steve McNair (Ten)? Not all  the turnovers Sunday were McNair's fault bu=
t=20
he certainly had a hand in  them.? His problem remains a lack of healthy WR=
s=20
and a stellar RB in Eddie  George who can carry the load.? Last year, it wa=
s=20
McNair vulturing TDs from  George but it doesn't seem to be a problem this=
=20
year.?=20

QB Jake Plummer (Ari)? If  you're a regular reader, you know I'm not a=20
Plummer fan.? I'm especially  not a fan now that he's hurt as well.? He may=
=20
get back soon but it won't  matter for this team that's in shambles=20
offensively.

?

RBs Moving Down

RB Thomas Jones (Ari)? Jones'  was recovering from pneumonia Sunday but=20
still, you like to see a better yards  per carry average than negative 2...

RB Kevin Faulk (NE)? Either  Bill Belichick is psychotic or Kevin Faulk is=
=20
not a very good football  player.? How else do you explain Faulk earning on=
e=20
carry while his RB  partner J.R. Redmond was inactive?? Patrick Pass got th=
e=20
bulk of the work  but was ineffective.? I'm guessing, it's the fumbling tha=
t=20
earned his spot  in the doghouse.?=20

RB Ron Dayne (NYG)? As we've  said so often in the past, Ron Dayne's=20
productivity is tied directly to how well  the Giants are playing.? If New=
=20
York is leading, you'll see Dayne.? If  they're trailing, it's the Tiki=20
Barber show.? Lately, it's been more Tiki  than Dayne.? And if the Giants=
=20
don't make some improvements on defense, I  don't see that changing.

RB Travis Prentice (Cle)?  Prentice got folks excited early in the year but=
=20
he's been disappointing of  late.? Prentice is losing carries to Jamel Whit=
e=20
and that doesn't look to  change anytime soon.?=20

?

WRs Moving Down

WR Marcus Robinson (Chi)?  Robinson is still the best WR on the team but it=
=20
appears the QB rotation is  affecting his play.? With Shane Matthews=20
starting, Robinson had 5  receptions for 53 yards.? While those numbers are=
=20
certainly not horrible,  they're not quite what we expect from Marcus.? He=
=20
could improve with  another week of practice but I'm a little concerned rig=
ht=20
now.

WR Joe Horn (NO)? As I  mentioned above, I like Aaron Brooks a good bit but=
=20
there is no way that he's  anything but a significant downgrade from Jeff=
=20
Blake.? Of special worry was  the fact Brooks seemed more comfortable=20
throwing the ball to Willie  Jackson.

WR Donald Hayes?(Car)?  Hayes left with a groin injury Sunday and his statu=
s=20
for next week is  uncertain.? He's a vital part of the offense and will be=
=20
missed if he can't  go.

WR Wayne Chrebet (NYJ)? As the  Jets have struggled, so has Chrebet.? He=20
turned in another small game  Sunday with 22 yards on 2 catches.? These=20
numbers just won't get it done  for a #1 WR.

WR Ike Hilliard (NYG)? 2 weeks  ago, it was Amani Toomer taking the hard=20
shot.? Last week it was Hilliard  with the highlight hit.? He looks like he=
=20
may miss a game or two which is  bad news for Hilliard owners but good news=
=20
of Joe Jurevicius  owners.

?

TEs Moving Down

TE Reggie Kelly (Atl)? Kelly's  just too up and down to rely on to any=20
degree.? When he's featured in the  gameplan, he's?a nice player and can be=
=20
effective.? It's just that  it's so hard to guess what game that will be...

TE Anthony Becht (NYJ)? Another  Jet receiver that's struggling.? Becht is=
=20
frustrating as he'll show some  nice flashes and then disappear for long=20
stretches.? I'm afraid to say he's  starting to look like...a Jet's TE.

?

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