Will Fuller (left) has had a strong preseason and should be making his way up your rankings

With three weeks in the books for the NFL Preseason, we’re at that point where expectations for certain players are shaping up. Some guys have tumbled down draft rankings while others have made their ascent. If you haven’t drafted yet or are looking to make some trades early in your season, there are definitely a few players that should be turning your a heads a bit.

We’re asking our featured pros to help pinpoint who some of these names are so that you can make the best decisions ahead of the season.

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Q1. Who is rising the most in your draft rankings at this point in the preseason?

Will Fuller (WR – HOU)
“In a talented WR class coming into the league, no receiver really separated themselves during the draft process but one has clearly outperformed the others so far in the preseason. In his last two games, Will Fuller has caught 7 passes for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns and has shown the same breakaway speed he showed at Notre Dame. It appears Fuller has won the No. 2 spot with the Texans as he has been on the field for 64 of the 68 plays that the first team offense has run. Fuller may be inconsistent as most rookie wide receivers tend to be, but he will have his big games throughout the season that could win a week for your team. He is the exact type of guy to take a flier on later in your drafts this year.”
– Brendan Donahue (EDSFootball)

Christine Michael (RB – SEA)
“Seattle Seahawks RB Christine Michael looked like he was running his way out of the league in 2015. Last year he was traded to Dallas for a conditional 7th round pick, released by the Cowboys, claimed by Washington and released again. He made his way back to the Seahawks and looked like his roster spot could be in jeopardy earlier this offseason. Instead, he has had 24 preseason carries for 157 yards or a 6.5 yards-per-carry average. At the least, he has hurt RB Thomas Rawls value and worked his way into the rotation. He could eventually overtake Rawls. I view Michael as an excellent flex back with upside. There is an excellent chance he receives the bulk of the carries in Seattle this year. The talented running back is finally realizing his potential.”
– Derek Lofland (Fantasy Football Maniax)

“With Marshawn Lynch retiring at the end of last season, the starting RB job opened up in Seattle. Thomas Rawls seems to be the likely replacement, but don’t forget about Christine Michael. He leads the NFL with 157 rushing yards and a 6.5 yards per carry average.”
– Adam Meyer (Fox Sports)

Tajae Sharpe (WR – TEN)
“Tajae Sharpe has moved up the most for me. When sifting through the potential clutter of the offseason, you’re really trying to find common threads that began way back in June. All the Titans have consistently said, and now shown us, is that Sharpe is going to be a significant piece of this passing game. Sharpe hasn’t wasted one bit of any of the opportunity he’s been afforded as he’s played the most of all receivers with the first unit all preseason and turned in nine catches for 163 yards so far. I personally believe the Titans are going to be a much better offense for fantasy than most assume and will get wrapped into some shootouts. Plus, they appear to have longer odds on becoming as run heavy as assumed given their 5.5 win over/under. I doubt Sharpe makes a push for 130 targets, but I’d rather make a play on him than a receiver such as Tyler Boyd, Devin Funchess, Torrey Smith or others around the WR4/5 mark in drafts.”
– Rich Hribar (The Fake Football)

Justin Forsett/Terrance West (RB – BAL)
“I entered the summer high on Kenneth Dixon — and still am, long term. But injuries have gotten in his way, including the partial MCL tear that will delay the start of his season. He was working in with Forsett and West on the 1st team in Baltimore’s 3rd preseason game. Dixon’s absence leaves more touches for Forsett and West, in a situation capable of supporting both. Buck Allen has been marginalized the way I expected, which means more receiving work for Forsett. OC Marc Trestman has had a RB catch 45+ passes in all 11 of his seasons as an NFL play-caller, with his top back averaging 63.5 receptions (according to my colleague Jared Smola). West has led the goal-line work this preseason, which sets up paths for both to deliver value. Most importantly, many fantasy drafters will still be able to take both in the double-digit rounds, with West remaining on the board until the end of most drafts. Opening the season against Buffalo and Cleveland defenses that ranked among the bottom 8 in yards-per-carry allowed last year presents the opportunity for a fast start. And if you’re scared by the uncertainty in touch distribution, draft them both.”
– Matt Schauf (Draft Sharks)

Q2. Who is falling the most in your draft rankings at this point in the preseason?

Jay Ajayi (RB – MIA) 
“Just a few months ago it looked like Jay Ajayi was going to be the feature back in Miami, but after the signing of Arian Foster coupled with a disappointing preseason, Ajayi is borderline undraftable in most leagues now. The Dolphins signing Foster showed you they didn’t fully trust Ajayi to handle a big role in the offense and his play this preseason has only enhanced their doubts. In 3 games so far, Ajayi has rushed 15 times for 36 yards which equates to a whopping 2.4 yards per carry to go along with 0 touchdowns. At this point, only Foster owners should really be targeting Ajayi as a late-round handcuff, otherwise, I would say to stay away from him unless Foster gets hurt.”
– Brendan Donahue (EDSFootball)

Andrew Luck (QB – IND)
“Indianapolis Colts QB Andrew Luck is really concerning me at this point. The Colts offensive line seems to be regressing and not improving. Colts LG Jack Mewhort’s knee injury could keep him out 2-4 weeks, if not longer. We saw what happened when Luck tried to play behind a suspect offensive line last year; he missed 9 games with injury and had only 1,881 yards, 15 passing touchdowns, 12 picks and a QB rating of just 74.9. I am holding out hope that he will regain his 2012-2014 form this year, but I think he is tremendously overrated as the 4th fantasy quarterback. I currently have him at 10th and he is trending downward, not upward after this horrible preseason.”
– Derek Lofland (Fantasy Football Maniax)

Duke Johnson (RB – CLE)
“I still like the talent, and I still see plenty of potential opportunity, but Isaiah Crowell has looked like the much stronger rushing option in the preseason, and I’m not sure this offense will be set up to maximize Johnson’s receiving value. Griffin’s two finest assets are his mobility and his deep arm. Cleveland’s shaky line might push him to run more than check down and playing with Corey Coleman, Josh Gordon, and Terrelle Pryor as his top 3 wideouts should encourage the latter. Even TE Gary Barnidge threatens to cap Johnson’s short-to-mid range ceiling. I still think there’s strong PPR upside to Johnson, but I’m much less willing today to buy it at the draft price I’d need to pay.”
– Matt Schauf (Draft Sharks)

Torrey Smith (WR – SF) 
“Torrey Smith is a big faller for me as we’ve moved along. I still believe the volume he sees in comparison to what he received in 2015 will be an upgrade, but there’s just no cohesion in the San Francisco perimeter passing game to latch onto right now. Smith has been targeted just one time this preseason on 31 routes run per Pro Football Focus. Smith doesn’t garner the necessary point smoothing targets to hold a steady floor and neither 49ers quarterback is going to elevate those types of targets even if they presented themselves. Taking into account that the 49ers open up with Carolina, Seattle and Arizona in three of their opening five games, Smith looks like he could be one of the first players to hit waiver wires early in the season after early summer consideration of posting top-30 numbers.”
– Rich Hribar (The Fake Football)

Jordan Howard (RB – CHI)
“Matt Forte’s departure signaled the start to the Jeremy Langford era. But, who would be his backup? After Ka’Deem Carey was being evaluated for a concussion, Howard earned some reps in the Bears’ backfield. However, it seems as though his 3.3 yards per attempt will move him back to third-string in Chicago.”
– Adam Meyer (Fox Sports)

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Thank you to the experts for naming their risers and fallers. Be sure to give them a follow on Twitter and check out our latest podcast below for more fantasy advice.

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