Players that should be rising and falling on your cheat sheet.

Here's the latest report on players who seem to be soaring or dropping in appeal recently.

RISING

Chris Perry, RB, Bengals: While Rudi Johnson continues to battle hamstring problems, Perry has been looking quite impressive during the preseason and is actually making a push for the starting job. Perry can be explosive and has good receiving skills. Yet he may not be built for extensive duty, so while we should push him up on our cheat sheets, I wouldn't regard him as anything more than a flex player just yet.

DeSean Jackson, WR, Eagles: The rookie has made a quick impression during exhibition play, and with both Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown hurting, Jackson has a realistic chance of emerging as a top receiving threat for Donovan McNabb early in the season. Curtis' return date seems to be unclear, so take a shot on Jackson as a fourth receiver with some upside.

Ricky Williams, RB, Dolphins: This one has been pretty obvious, as Williams is enjoying a fine preseason, while trade rumors swirl around Ronnie Brown. Williams has a legitimate shot at winning the starting job and should at least open the season in a time-share with Brown, who may be slow to progress in his comeback this year. Williams looks like a superb pick as a No. 3 fantasy running back right now, and he could prove to be a very good value selection if you can nab him in the seventh or eighth round.

Ted Ginn Jr., WR, Dolphins: It certainly appears that Chad Pennington will open the season as Miami's top quarterback. He does need someone to throw to, and Pennington took a quick liking to Ginn in his first preseason start. Ginn caught four passes for 58 yards, and now that he has a quarterback who is respectable as a game manager, expect Ginn to get the ball in his hands enough to be a pretty good playmaker. Consistency may be an issue, but he is certainly worth grabbing as a fourth or fifth receiver in the late rounds of your draft.

Eddie Royal, WR, Broncos: Royal has passed veteran Darrell Jackson on the depth chart, and it appears the rookie now has the opportunity to start alongside Brandon Marshall when he returns from his suspension. Royal has looked very good during the preseason, showing off good downfield speed and the confidence to succeed at the pro level. He is a fine late-round pick with some first-year promise.

Steve Slaton, RB, Texans: Gary Kubiak told the Houston Chronicle that the rookie will start to see some first-team action in exhibition play this week. Ahman Green has been surrounded by rumors of an impending release, and it's obvious that Chris Brown is not a trustworthy alternative. Slaton doesn't look like he is cut out to be a starting RB, but Houston may have no other choice, so you have to take a flier on him in the later rounds.

Dustin Keller, TE, N.Y. Jets: He caught a TD pass from Brett Favre in the veteran legend's first appearance in green and white. Favre has always shown an affinity for throwing to his tight ends, and Keller is looking like a quick study as he is having an outstanding preseason. If you wait until late to grab your TE, it's worth taking the shot on Keller, who has lots of talent and just needs the experience. He could be put on a fast track to success despite the fact he is a rookie.

Devin Hester, WR, Bears: There's not much statistical proof to support this yet, but I believe Hester is on his way to becoming a real receiver for the Bears. He's obviously done the work to give himself the opportunity to succeed. You can see it in his route running and improved fundamentals. Hester has a chance to make a real impact as part of a thin Chicago WR corps, and because he is always a threat to break loose for a big play, Hester has some serious upside and is a great gamble in the late rounds. Hopefully, Kyle Orton won't hold him back too much, but Hester still has a lot of potential as a fantasy WR.

FALLING

Ryan Grant, RB, Packers: He has missed time during the preseason because of hamstring problems. Plus, the Green Bay quarterback situation isn't looking too good, and Grant is sure to draw a lot of defensive attention early in the regular season. He'll also get fewer opportunities to finish off scoring drives. I'm not even sure I want to draft Grant in the second round anymore.

Frank Gore, RB, 49ers: The San Francisco offense is scaring the heck out of me. The QB situation is a mess here, too, and the receiving corps looks even worse than Minnesota's. Gore is the only true, established threat that defenses have to account for, which means he is going to be swarmed often. Plus, he isn’t going to have anything resembling consistent TD chances this year. The more I see of the 49ers in the preseason, the more I wince and refuse to take Gore in the first two rounds, which means someone else is going to be disappointed by him this year.

Javon Walker, WR, Raiders: Does he still have the fire and desire left to succeed? Don’t waste a draft choice trying to find out. Walker has been plagued by sloppy play and drops during the preseason and has drawn the ire of head coach Lane Kiffin. There was also recent talk that he had to be coaxed out of a possible retirement. Ask Randy Moss; Oakland is where receivers go to die, not Chicago.

James Hardy, WR, Bills: The rookie should eventually become the optimum starter across from Lee Evans, but for now, he is battling hamstring problems and has not been able to nail down a starting job as hoped. Hardy may come along slowly during the first half of his rookie year and even when he gets up to speed as a possible starter, he will have to face higher-level defenders on a regular basis. That means another adjustment period that may lead to more quiet outings. Hardy may only show some flashes of the future in 2008 and is looking like a risk even in the late rounds right now.

Bryant Johnson, WR, 49ers: I never fashioned him as much of a fantasy option to begin with. Now that he is missing time in the preseason because of hamstring problems, other, younger pass-catchers are making more of a dent in the minds of the San Francisco brain trust. I urge you not to waste a draft choice on Johnson.

Matt Leinart, QB, Cardinals: Coach Ken Whisenhunt has been evasive about naming his starter to this point. That may just be to keep opponents in the dark for now, but that certainly doesn't inspire any confidence from fantasy owners. Leinart still has a lot to prove, and the fact that his status on the depth chart is still unclear is another reason to go for a more stable choice when choosing your backup QB.

Ronnie Brown, RB, Dolphins: A thumb injury has only added to his sagging outlook. Brown has officially emerged as another player I refuse to draft this season. I expect him to slowly work his way back into playing form this season, and he is going to lose a significant amount of touches to Ricky Williams.

Rudi Johnson, RB, Bengals: Just a reminder that his stock continues to tumble to the point where you may be able to draft him as a backup running back. You may regret that move, too. More hamstring problems make him a scary pick at any point of the draft.

Scott Engel was a Senior Writer and Managing Editor of Fantasy Sports at CBS SportsLine, and received the company's Hall of Fame Award during his tenure from 1996 to 2004. He was an Associate Editor and featured Insider writer at ESPN.com from 2004 to 2008. E-mail Scott at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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