The first week of the NFL season is in the books and the Fire Sale is here to break things down. I'm making a slight tweak to the format of my column. I'm going to keep the players who are "Going Up" and "Coming Down" each week. However, I'll also be adding a Sneaky Starts section for the upcoming week. I used to do Sneaky Starts when my column was written elsewhere and it was a popular feature, so I thought I would bring it back. Let's see how it goes. Oh, and the worst running back drafter on the planet obviously selected Andre Ellington and Toby Gerhart in every league possible. I'm running back mush. Now on with the Fire Sale... Going Up Knowshon Moreno , RB Miami -- I think I finally have Moreno pegged. He's Shaun Alexander. The guy hates to practice. If you remember Alexander, he had a reputation for hating practice. I'm starting to think Moreno may hate practice, too. The last couple of summers Moreno had some kind of injury that made fantasy owners undervalue him. Then when the regular season kicks off, Moreno is all of a sudden healthy again and looks great. Coincidence? I said coming out of college that Lamar Miller reminded me of Felix Jones. In case you don't get the reference, that's not a compliment. Miller is better than Jones but it comes as no surprise to me that it took Moreno all of five minutes to become the primary ball carrier in Miami. Granted, as someone who started Moreno in place of Ellington, I could have done without Miller vulturing a score, but I can't complain about 134 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. Miller is still going to get on the field but Miami has to like what they saw out of Moreno in Week 1. He's gone from a first round bust to one of the most underrated players in the NFL. As long as Moreno can stay healthy, he'll be one of the bigger steals in fantasy drafts this year. Ahmad Bradshaw , Indianapolis -- I thought Bradshaw looked good on Sunday night. He didn't get many carries but playing as the primary pass-catching back, Bradshaw caught five passes for 70 yards. The biggest thing to take away from the game though is Bradshaw looked 100 percent healthy. Like last season with Donald Brown, owners just have to be patient with Bradshaw. We have to play the game with the Colts. Sooner or later their coaching staff will get tired of watching Trent Richardson run up the backs of his linemen and Bradshaw will eventually replace him. I thought Curtis Enis had retired but I guess I was wrong. ...

This is for those of you who participate in dynasty leagues where you can draft a college player. Most of the time, these players can turn out to be low-cost controllable assets that would otherwise turn into future first-round fantasy picks. Of course, this requires a lot of luck, as even these players can be selected by bad teams and never pan out, but the rewards are worth the risk. Here are my top-5 2015 NFL fantasy prospects. 1) Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State Winston is a superstar in the making. His expectations skyrocketed after winning a National Championship and the Heisman Trophy. Winston reminds me of Cam Newton with the potential to be better than Newton. Winston has every physical tool to be a star, he is even very mobile for a guy who is 6-foot-3, 230 pounds. I knew Winston was going to be something special in his first game, which was against the University of Pittsburgh. He finished the game 25-for-27, 357 yards and four touchdowns, and he also rushed for a fifth score. Winston is no doubt my top quarterback over a sketchy prospect Marcus Mariota, who I'm not nearly as high on. This guy is a lock to be the first pick in the NFL Draft come 2015 barring injury. Note: his former backup Jacob Coker is now at Alabama and is another one to watch, but at this point Coker is more of an unknown. 2) Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia Gurley is the closest thing to Adrian Peterson I have seen. Gurley runs like a man possessed and should be the top back drafted. Gurley is also a bigger back at 6-foot-1, 230 pounds making him a rich man's LeGarrette Blount. Gurley could find himself having an Eddie Lacy-type rookie season. He is a must have for dynasty league owners. 3) Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin Gordon is five times better than Montee Ball, yet doesn't receive the same praise. Gordon has much better agility to go with a 7.8 yards per carry in 2013 compared to Ball's 5.1 in 2012. Gordon could turn out to be a Marshawn Lynch-type back and should be an early 1st-round rookie pick in 2015. 4) T.J. Yeldon, RB, Alabama Yeldon is a bit of a question only because of the Alabama time share but that is not really a bad thing. Yeldon will have very few carries heading to the pros thanks to Derrick Henry and company. Yeldon absolutely looks every bit as good as Lacy his true freshman season at Alabama and should not be overlooked despite the time split. Yeldon could be a sort of Matt Forte-type back who was also overlooked when being drafted in Round 2 over...

The Eagles have signed Felix Jones to help their running game. Is he worth going after?

The Eagles have signed Felix Jones to help their running game. Is he worth going after?

Around the League Welcome back to fantasy relevance Greg Olsen. Olsen has certainly had a rough season thus far, but came to life in Week 10. He had nine catches for 102 yards and two touchdowns. He received a team-high 10 targets and was the first option in the red zone for quarterback Cam Newton on multiple occasions. This is now two solid weeks in a row for Olsen where he has led the team in targets. He should be in your starting lineup this Sunday against Tampa Bay. Those who started Felix Jones last week were very happy with his performance filling in for the injured DeMarco Murray. Jones carried the ball 16 times for 71 yards and had three receptions for 22 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown. Murray didn't practice Wednesday morning and it's looking like he will miss another game, so start Jones with confidence. He has a pretty good match up against Cleveland and should see right around 20 touches once again. Look for a showing similar to that of Jones' Week 10 output. Antonio Gates isn't the fantasy force that he used to be, but he appears to be getting back on track and contributing at the tight end position. In his last four games, Gates has 15 receptions and four touchdowns. He's finally starting to get back some of those red zone targets that used to be his week-in and week-out and looks to be healthy enough to compete. He's nowhere near a Top 5 option anymore, but the tight end position has been very scarce this season and Gates has been hot over the last month. If you own him continue to start him, especially in Week 11 against Denver, a team that is allowing the most fantasy points to tight ends on the season. Shark Sleepers LaRod Stephens-Howling, RB, Arizona Stephens-Howling is the lead back for Arizona and has averaged 18 touches per game over the past three games. He hasn't been overly impressive, but he does have a touchdown in two of those games and a 100-yard performance. The Cardinals are playing Atlanta this weekend, and this is very favorable for Stephens-Howling as the Falcons are ranked 25th against the run. Start him if you have him or need to fill in a roster spot because of byes. Danario Alexander, WR, San Diego It looks like Alexander has now taken over the starting wide receiver spot over Robert Meachem in San Diego with his big outing in Week 10. Alexander had five catches for 134 yards and an 80-yard score. He has gained the confidence of Philip Rivers and is finally healthy after battling knee and hamstring ...

For the last few weeks San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Mathews has fought tooth and nail, with a small Jackie Battle roadblock in his way, to get back in to the hearts of fantasy owner starting lineups. After his showing against the Denver Broncos on Monday night it's pretty clear that Mathews is on the steady track. Furthermore, according to The San Diego Union Tribune, Mathews himself believes there was opportunity for more. "There were three or four runs that I could've broken for big gain or a touchdown," Mathews said. "It's my fault that those runs didn't turn out right. That's on me. A couple of times I got tripped up by a hand, or got knocked off balance just enough to lose my footing. Those runs always eat at you, especially in a game like this where one run can change things." Mathews is getting a heavier workload each week, and should continue to, especially with the attitude he has taken in response to the challenges that have been thrown his way. "I'm reading the holes well," Mathews said. "I'm blocking well and receiving well and taking care of the ball well. I just have to do a better job of staying on my feet when I see daylight. I need to be better. I didn't do enough to help us win. After a result like this, that's all that matters." The Chargers will be up against the 25th-ranked Cleveland Browns run defense this week, so Mathews is a must start for all fantasy owners who own him. In Dallas, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has once again been heard drooling over running back Felix Jones heading into another regular season game. Furthermore, according to Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Jones is seeing the Felix Jones the team drafted in 2008. " Felix Jones is one of the most conscientious, hardest workers that I've been around as a football player," Jones said on his Friday radio show on KRLD-FM. "So he works at it. Now, he did come in not the shape he wanted to be. I don't have an answer for that, because that's not typical of where he is. But since that time, he's gotten quicker. He is quicker. Maybe he had a little extra pound or two that he shouldn't have had or wouldn't have had if he could do it over, but in my mind he's ready to go. He's quick. ... He's quicker at practice. You can see some of the quickness that he needs to have to have his game at its best." Jones is slated to start this week against the Carolina Panthers with Demarco Murray sidelined with a sprained foot. However, these sentiments regarding Jones have ...

This week's lines are from USAToday.com (as of Thursday night). Key ATS - Against the Spread SU - Straight Up O/U - Over/Under Byes: Miami, Denver, Kansas City, San Diego, Philadelphia, Atlanta Locks Green Bay @ St. Louis (+5.5) The Packers are coming off an impressive 42-24 victory at Houston last week. QB Aaron Rodgers finally busted out with a big game, passing for 338 yards and six touchdowns, three of them to WR Jordy Nelson. Even with WR Greg Jennings missing most of the season with a groin injury, Rodgers has plenty of weapons with wideouts Nelson, James Jones and Randall Cobb. The Rams lost in Miami last week 17-14. QB Sam Bradford was without his favorite WR Danny Amendola, who's out for at least six weeks due to an injured collarbone. The offense was already struggling before they lost Amendola, not to mention that RB Steven Jackson has slowed down this year and is now sharing carries with rookie RB Daryl Richardson. St. Louis has improved on defense this season. Against the pass, they rank 5th in the league but will have their hands against Rodgers and company. After a slow start to the season, the Packers have some of their swagger back and I expect them to keep it going this week in St. Louis. Gimme the Packers minus the points. New Orleans @ Tampa Bay (+1) The Saints were on a bye last week after finally getting their first victory of the season over the San Diego Chargers two weeks ago, winning 31-24. LB Jonathan Vilma (knee) is expected to return this week and will provide the Saints with much needed help on defense. New Orleans may be without one of their top offensive players in TE Jimmy Graham (ankle) who has not practiced all week. The Buccaneers blew out the Kansas City Chiefs last week, 38-10. I'm not really buying this win. The Chiefs have had QB issues all season and had to go with Brady Quinn after losing Matt Cassel to a concussion. Tampa's defense succeeded in stopping the run and forced Quinn into throwing two interceptions, including one which was returned for a touchdown. The Saints need this win to stay in the playoff hunt, look for them to make it two in a row. Gimme the Saints minus the points. Dallas @ Carolina (+1) It'll be interesting to see how Dallas rebounds from last week's heart-breaking loss in Baltimore. They will be without RB DeMarco Murray who left last week's game with a foot injury. Backup RB Felix Jones should have a nice day against the Panthers defense who rank 23rd in the league against ...

Tennessee Titans vs Buffalo Bills -Kenny Britt- There are currently no suspensions pending or injuries hampering the potentially elite Titans' receiver. This is the first time in 2012 that Britt should be viewed as a 100% must-start. Playing him at this juncture of the season is the exact reason why owners took Britt in the draft a few months back. With Britt at full throttle for the first time in a long time he needs to be in all lineups but he also needs to reward owners' faith and patience with a good showing here. Britt could turn out to be a second half gem or a draft day waste. The fantasy season is just beyond the halfway point so there is no time to dillydally. Dallas Cowboys vs Carolina Panthers -Felix Jones- Could Jones do to Murray in 2012, what Murray did to Jones in 2011? With Murray out week seven and perhaps longer, Jones has the chance to earn back some of his lost value. If Jones proves to be a reliable runner and the homerun threat he once was, he could earn additional work when Murray returns. He absolutely cannot afford to come off the field with yet another injury as Phillip Tanner is waiting in the same manner as Murray was. Jones has to remain on the field and productive in order to earn back some long-term value. His short-term value is at a season high but he could end up being like the Giants' Andre Brown, with a one and done type of effect if things don't fully work out. Baltimore Ravens vs Houston Texans -Joe Flacco-The Ravens' ball chucker has been rapidly ascending the QB rankings since week one. He has proven to be a borderline must-start and has provided amazing value for those who decided to wait on the position on draft day. Flacco has the chance to earn a little more "street cred" here as he gets matched up against the aggressive Houston Texans. This time around though, the Texans will be without one of their main contributors in linebacker Brian Cushing. The Wade Phillips driven defense still has top end contributors, some extremely elite, such as J.J. Watt, but it's simply not as effective. If Flacco can take advantage of the same defense that Aaron Rodgers just took to the butcher then his stock would be climbing, yet again. Flacco could find himself in the top ten rankings at quarterback for the rest of the year depending on his production here. There may not be a stronger test in the NFL today than the Texans. Cleveland Browns vs Indianapolis Colts -Reggie Wayne- The Colts' grey beard is the 2012 Steve ...

Six teams are on a bye in Week 7: Atlanta, Denver, Kansas City, Miami, Philadelphia and San Diego. Between those six teams, we have four starting caliber quarterbacks and several viable running backs, wide receivers wand tight ends. Below, I'll list the player, their Week 7 matchup, and the percentage of leagues in which he is owned according to our friends at fleaflicker.com. DISCLAIMER - The hope is that you don't find yourself in a situation like this. The hope is that you dodge the bullet. But hope won't help you come Sunday. Let's move on to this week's targets, keeping in mind that these aren't every week starters. Instead, these are guys that should only be used if you're in some kind of roster emergency, whether it be related to bye weeks or injuries. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick vs. Tennessee -- 66 percent . I like Fitzpatrick this week against a Tennessee defense that performed well last week against a better Pittsburgh offense. And Fitzpatrick has struggled recently, but San Francisco and Arizona have a habit of frustrating opposing quarterbacks. Tennessee will have its hands full with an underrated Bills offense, and I like Fitzpatrick to surpass the 220 yards and two scores we've projected. Josh Freeman vs. New Orleans -- 62 percent. Freeman got off to a rough start this season, facing a few tough defenses. But last week, he got on track against the Kansas City Chiefs, as quarterbacks have often done this year. Against New Orleans this week, Freeman gets another poor pass defense, and he'll likely have to throw the ball a bit more this week than the Buccaneers normally would. We have him projected for 280 yards and two touchdowns, and I think he reaches those marks. Carson Palmer vs. Jacksonville -- 66 percent. Palmer has been feast-or-famine this season. When the cupboards are bare, you'll talk yourself into eating just about anything. Jacksonville is average, at best, against the pass, so take a flier on Palmer if you must. Our site has him projected for 290 yards and a score. I can't believe I just wrote this. Running Back Felix Jones at Carolina -- 58 percent; Phillip Tanner -- 3 percent. Jones is the real target here, with Tanner a distant second. With DeMarco Murray expected to miss a juicy matchup with a porous run defense, Jones steps up and figures to split work with Tanner, once again. The Cowboys are starting to use the run more consistently, and even stuck with it once Murray left last week. Jones is projected for ...

Running Wild Former starting running back, Felix Jones, had a great game last Sunday when DeMarco Murray went down with a foot injury. Against a usually tough Baltimore defense, Jones carried the ball 18 times for 92 yards and a touchdown. He was running hard and had a long run of 22 yards. Perhaps the only disappointment on the day was that he only caught one pass for 13 yards. Jones is a great pass catcher out of the backfield though, so expect to see a handful of balls thrown his way in Week 7. Murray has already been listed as out, so Jones should be started in all formats. Don't look now, but it appears that the St. Louis Rams are the newest team to sport a running back time-share. Daryl Richardson has slowly earned his way into more playing time, and this was evident in Week 6. Richardson had 11 carries for 76 yards while Steven Jackson had 12 carries for just 52 yards. They both got some touches in the passing game as well, and Richardson is only getting better. Jackson is still the clear cut starter, but it's interesting to see them split carries against Miami. Jackson does have a history of getting hurt, so you might want to grab Richardson now while he's available. New York Jets running back Shonn Greene had a career day last Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, rushing for three touchdowns. In a game where New York clearly wanted to run the ball, Greene got the call and helped his fantasy owners immensely. He received 32 carries and was able to gain 161 impressive yards. Although he doesn't offer much in the receiving department (zero catches last Sunday), this was definitely a breakout game for the starting back. He still has to put together a few good games for owners to have full faith in him, though. Greene has a tough match up with New England in Week 7, so start him and hope that he can build on his great performance from last week. Sleepers Josh Gordon, WR, Cleveland Gordon has put up two monster weeks in a row and should now start to receive some consideration as a starter in your fantasy lineups. He has three touchdown receptions in his last two games, including one for 71 yards and another for 62 yards. Quarterback Brandon Weeden has developed a nice chemistry with him, and this should only become more effective as both players mature. A lot of teams have byes in Week 7, so, if you're looking for a receiver, take a look Gordon's way. Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Buffalo Fitzpatrick hasn't been terrible this season...