Keith Bulluck

In 2008, Bulluck led the Titans with 120 tackles. He has led the squad in tackles in six of the last seven seasons and has seven consecutive seasons with at least 100 or more tackles. Bullock has started 113 consecutive games and hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. His contract will end after the 2009 season and it will likely be a year where he is auditioning for a future contract from another team.

Bulluck was a disappointment last season as his tackle total took a major hit - 144 in 2006 down to 88 in 2007. He still managed to hold value by improving his pass coverage skills and picking off five passes. If his tackle total returns to the norm, Bulluck will return to the top of the IDP list.

You want Bulluck on your team. In five years as a starter, he's made at least 125 tackles and one sack every year. It's usually more like 3-5 sacks. He's made an interception every year as a pro. Bulluck gets around the field so easily and makes plays because he's fluid, takes excellent angles and uses his hands effectively to wrap, strip, catch and shed. And he does what fantasy owners love: he plays every week and plays consistently well. He had fewer than eight total tackles just three times last year. Bonus: Bullock has scored five touchdowns in seven professional seasons. He's never ranged into the stratosphere as the top linebacker in the league, but he's come close, is always Top 10, if not Top 5, and is as consistent as they come.

Bulluck just keeps on trucking. And “truck” is the right word. He’s not so big, at 235, but makes his trade smashing through blocks. His bulldog mindset and athleticism lead to both high tackle numbers and great playmaking. Three straight years at 100-plus solo tackles and a fourth at 99 solos prove he’s among the best at handling traffic. Making at least one pick in each of his six pro seasons, including before he was a starter, helps demonstrate his playmaking ability. Perhaps more impressive are the five sacks he’s logged two years running. He doesn’t have elite talent around him, which means he’s on the field an awful lot with ample chances to rack up the stats. The only knock, if you’re looking hard enough, is a slight tendency toward a weak game once or twice a season.

Ho hum, yet another 100-plus solo tackles from Bulluck. He’s averaged 101 solos in three years as a starter and hasn’t missed a game over that span. What’s more, his sack totals have gone up from one to three to five in the past three years. Picks? Yup, he’s had two in each of the past two years. Is there anything he doesn’t do? He had an impressive eight forced fumbles and two touchdowns off fumbles in the two years leading into 2004, but just one forced fumble and one touchdown last season. The sack sum will be hard to duplicate, and he drops a few empty games in more often than other elite linebackers, but he’s young, healthy and supremely productive.

In the two years the younger of the Keiths has been a starter, he hasn’t missed a game and has averaged 105.5 solo tackles. Sounds a lot like a junior version of Mr. Brooking, except Bulluck will get you one or two interceptions and had a career high with three sacks last year. If your league counts fumble stats, Bulluck forced three in 2002 and five in 2003, making him something of a specialist and worth more as a result.

Bulluck was tied for fifth in the league last season with 101 total tackles. An athletic middle linebacker, Bulluck should be good for another big tackle season and might even improve on those numbers if defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth develops in his second season and keeps the blockers off of him.