As the third week of preseason games begins, we're nearing closer and closer to Week 1 games and that means fantasy football drafts are starting to kick it into high gear. With only about two weeks remaining in the preseason, the number of drafts occurring right now is rapidly increasing and that means more data for the ADP Trend Report to factor in. And more data means more accurate ADP rankings.
Since we've spent a fair amount of time on standard leagues, let's take a look at some PPR ADP. And what better place to start in PPR formats than to go with the wide receivers as they tend to be affected the most by this scoring change? Overall, the movement isn't incredibly significant, but there are a few names in each section that seem to be worth a longer look. Here are the top 10 risers as seen recently in the ADP Trend Report on Mock Draft Central and tomorrow we'll hit the fallers.
| Player | Team | Current ADP | Change | 1 Wk Ago | Change | 2 Wks Ago | Overall Trend |
| Calvin Johnson | DET | 4.78 | 16.90|PERCENT| | 5.59 | 4.30|PERCENT| | 5.83 | 22.00|PERCENT| |
| Chris Givens | STL | 103.22 | 1.70|PERCENT| | 104.93 | 9.00|PERCENT| | 114.34 | 10.80|PERCENT| |
| Jordy Nelson | GB | 33.72 | 4.70|PERCENT| | 35.31 | 4.10|PERCENT| | 36.76 | 9.00|PERCENT| |
| Cordarrelle Patterson | MIN | 121.56 | 2.40|PERCENT| | 124.48 | 6.40|PERCENT| | 132.48 | 9.00|PERCENT| |
| Andre Johnson | HOU | 30.89 | 4.30|PERCENT| | 32.21 | 3.00|PERCENT| | 33.17 | 7.40|PERCENT| |
| T.Y. Hilton | IND | 83.78 | -1.30|PERCENT| | 82.72 | 8.20|PERCENT| | 89.48 | 6.80|PERCENT| |
| Mohamed Sanu | CIN | 145.28 | 26.30|PERCENT| | 183.55 | -15.50|PERCENT| | 155.17 | 6.80|PERCENT| |
| Jacoby Ford | OAK | 124.78 | 5.00|PERCENT| | 131.00 | 0.90|PERCENT| | 132.17 | 5.90|PERCENT| |
| Greg Little | CLE | 116.11 | 3.40|PERCENT| | 120.10 | 1.70|PERCENT| | 122.10 | 5.20|PERCENT| |
| Mike Wallace | MIA | 53.39 | 5.40|PERCENT| | 56.28 | -0.50|PERCENT| | 56.00 | 4.90|PERCENT| |
While Calvin Johnson has seen the largest increase, percentage wise (22.0|PERCENT|), it obviously doesn't amount to more than just a pick. Now obviously that isn't a major deal, but it's still worth noting if you're in a PPR league and have a pick in the top five. With running backs as thin as they are, you stand the chance of landing a potential top three guy if someone opts to take Johnson early and someone else reaches for a quarterback.
Chris Givens is earning earlier looks lately thanks to an outstanding preseason as he practices in each of the three wide receiver positions, highlighting his all-around skills. The topper was a 57-yard bomb he hauled in during the Rams' second preseason game, giving him 139 yards on four catches in two games. With Danny Amendola gone, Givens is expected to play a much more featured role in the passing attack.
It's not that I'm surprised that Jordy Nelson is where he's at in the ADP rankings, but seeing him steadily going earlier and earlier makes me scratch my head a little. Nelson has been dealing with a knee issue, and while reports are saying that he's close to returning, his status for Week 1 is still in doubt. Obviously, when healthy, he's money in the bank, but how long this knee problem lingers is the question.
Everyone loves their rookies and Cordarrelle Patterson is one receiver that many have been watching. But while he may be climbing in the ADP rankings, you have to assume that the majority of it is due to leagues that count individual return yards. Patterson has fantastic skills, but the guy throwing him the ball? Not so much. He's got all the potential to blossom into a top wideout, but until he's got someone a little more reliable throwing him the ball, he should remain at a discounted price.
The 7.4-percent increase for Andre Johnson is similar to the increase for Nelson – just a small handful of picks. His quarterback's stock is declining, but that's not affecting AJ's value as both Matt Schaub and T.J. Yates look downfield for him regularly.
While T.Y. Hilton has seen an overall rise of 6.8|PERCENT|, he actually took a slight drop over the past week as teammate Darrius Heyward-Bey is starting to see an increase in work opposite Reggie Wayne in two-receiver sets. Whether or not that actually means fewer reps for Hilton throughout the season is not yet known, but it might be reason enough to give him a slight downgrade on your receiver depth charts.
Cincinnati's Mohamed Sanu may have seen just a 6.8|PERCENT| increase overall, but his rise over just this past week was 26.3|PERCENT| which was nearly 40 picks. His drop two weeks ago was somewhat inexplicable, but with news that Andrew Hawkins is likely to need a walking boot for at least the next two weeks, Sanu has settled in as the starting option opposite A.J. Green. The double-coverage that Green usually sees should free up Sanu for plenty of work.
Jacoby Ford seems to be on the rise here (+5.9|PERCENT|) as he returns from a knee injury in plenty of time to help hold offBrice Butler for the number three/slot receiver job in Oakland. He should see a fair amount of work, but being behind Denarius Moore and Rod Streater, leaves him with limited upside in PPR play.
The slight rise in ADP for Greg Little likely comes from the expected rise in targets he should see over the first two weeks which Josh Gordon serves his suspension. Perhaps there is hope that the rapport he builds with Brandon Weeden will last beyond the two weeks, but that alone shouldn't be enough of a reason to bump him up too much. His current ADP should be about as high as he goes, especially in PPR leagues as his targets are likely to decrease once Gordon returns.
Miami's Mike Wallace has seen a slight increase as well, but shouldn't climb much higher as he remains the deep threat to Brian Hartline's role as the possession receiver. He may see a few extra looks here and there, but Hartline has the trusted rapport with Ryan Tannehill on this team.
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Howard Bender has been covering fantasy sports for over a decade on a variety of web sites. You can find his personal musings on RotobuzzGuy.com and for questions, thoughts or comments, you can follow him on Twitter at @rotobuzzguy or email him at [email protected].