Giants DE Osi Umenyiora was unstoppable Sunday night against the Eagles.

So sit back and enjoy the security that a strong defense provides… secure in the knowledge that Might Max and I stand ready to defend your fantasy team’s performance.

Teams on byes this week: Cincinnati, Minnesota, Oakland, Philadelphia.

Top Performers for Week Four

DL

Osi Umenyiora, Giants: One of the most dominant performances by defensive lineman in recent memory. Umenyiora was simply unstoppable—it baffles me that the Eagles continued to leave OT Winston Justice on an island, not giving him any help  as the game wore on. Even when McNabb broke the pocket and tried to use his legs to get away, Umenyiora flashed his outstanding speed in tracking down the elusive QB.
Stat Line: 6 tackles – 0 assists – 6 sacks; 2 forced fumbles.

Jared Devries, Lions:  Before you get all worked up…Devries had a big game. His three sacks against the Bears represents his career high for an entire season. His tackles against the Bears represent 25% of his career high for an entire season. Get the picture? Good.
Stat Line: 6-0-3; 2 FF.

Darnell Dockett, Cardinals: Sometimes you have a hard time believing a player is “that good”—Dockett is one of those guys. He gets no publicity and toils in the middle of the Cardinals line, but he is a pretty good lineman. He makes an excellent bench DL for your team, and in deeper leagues could be considered a starter.
Stat Line: 5-1-3; 1 FF.

Marques Douglas, 49ers: I always thought Douglas had a ton of potential when he played with the Ravens, and he was always under-publicized so he made for a great sleeper pick. Age and injuries have cut into his effectiveness, but every so often he flashes his ability.
Stat Line: 8-1-1.

Justin Tuck, Giants: It looks like the Giants will be in good shape after Michael Strahan retires. With Umenyiora on one end and Tuck on the other, the G-Men will continue to have top bookends on the line. Tuck is a terrific worker who never gives up on a play and isn’t afraid to get caught up in the middle of the line—allowing the Giants to move him around for maximum effect. I’d grab this kid now if he’s available and wait for when Strahan gets hurt around Week 8…
Stat Line: 6-1-2.

LB

Ernie Sims, Lions: Sims is a terrific tackler who might get an INT or two, but he’s not going to get you any sacks. But that’s OK, because this kid is a machine when it comes to tackling… let’s put it this way: with 36 tackles in four games, he’s ahead of the pace he set as a rookie, when he notched 124 total stops.
Stat Line: 8-3-0; 1 FF, 1 INT.

Omar Gaither, Eagles: Gaither had a strong game against the Giants, but he’s too inconsistent to start on your IDP squad. Pass.
Stat Line: 7-3-0; 1 INT.

D.J. Williams, Broncos: Williams is very similar to Ernie Sims: he’ll rack up the stops for your team, but he’s limited when it comes to big plays. But that’s OK, because a good IDP owner loves the consistency that Williams brings to the table.
Stat Line: 11-2-0.

Mathias Kiwanuka, Giants: In last week’s edition, I said: He’s learning the position on the job and he needs to be cut some slack. In truth, he operates better as a DE that can drop back occasionally in to coverage to confuse the QB. The Giants did something similar.. they had Kiwanuka play closer to the line, moved him around… had him be more aggressive and less reactive. The results were great, as Kiwanuka makes his second consecutive visit to the Top Performers list.
Stat Line: 5-2-3.

Morlon Greenwood, Texans: Greenwood is always on my pre-season IDP Sleepers list, with good reason. He always seems to be playing alongside other players who get more attention… in this case, Demeco Ryans. But Greenwood has recorded over 100 total stops for three years running, and despite his slow start, should do so again this season. Keep him stashed on your bench if you need a bye week filler or injury sub.
Stat Line: 11-0-0.

DB

Fernando Bryant, Lions: Bryant is a career underachiever, so his momentary blip in the sun should be nothing more than that for IDP owners.
Stat Line: 6-2-0; 1 INT.

Leigh Bodden, Browns: Bodden is one of those feel-good stories, an undrafted free agent in 2003 who worked his way into the starting lineup by 2006. Sometimes numbers don’t tell the whole story, and in Bodden’s case, they don’t’ tell you that he’s been getting better every week. His numbers this year are fairly solid, and he’s definitely a DB to keep your eye on.
Stat Line: 7-0-0; 1 INT.

Marcus Trufant, Seahawks: Trufant is a case of potential never achieved. After his first two seasons in the league, Trufant looked like he was on the verge of IDP stardom. But in the two years since, he has regressed. First two seasons, he averaged 90 stops and 3.5 INTs; the last two seasons, 65 stops and 1 INT.  That’s almost one-third less IDP production. Is he turning it around? I don’t know for sure, but there’s no reason for you to risk a roster spot finding out.
Stat Line: 3-0-0; 2 INT.

Keith Sims, Lions: This week’s one-hit wonder.
Stat Line: 0-1-0; 1 INT; 1 TD.

Gibril Wilson, Giants: Wilson’s big game puts him on pace to record more tackles than he has in each of the past two seasons, when he recorded 100 and 112, respectively. Wilson is playing for a contract, and in the newly aggressive schemes of Giants DC Steve Spagnuolo, he’ll be around the ball more—resulting in more IDP points.
Stat Line:  10-1-0.