Knowshon Moreno's Fantasy Trade Value, Season Projections and More

Miami Dolphins running back Knowshon Moreno ran for over 1,000 yards and put up double-digit touchdowns in 2013, but his career year was overshadowed by the legendary numbers put up by quarterback Peyton Manning. After five years in Mile High Stadium, Moreno moved on to a new team with little fanfare.

After his sterling Week 1 performance against the New England Patriots, it's clear that fantasy football owners know that this is a player one doesn't just let go of easily.

According to Yahoo Sports' transaction trends, Moreno is the most traded player in the league. This is quite the turnaround considering his average draft position was 86.5, according to ESPN.com. In most leagues, he wasn't seen as much more of a bench-filler, a player with a fine history worth taking a flyer on even though he is lining up alongside sleeper-extraordinaire Lamar Miller.

It only took 60 minutes of NFL action for Moreno to make his doubters look moronic.

Player	Carries	Rush Yards	Avg.	TDs	Rec	Rec Yds
Moreno	24	134	5.6	1	0	0
Miller	11	59	5.4	0	4	19

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Omar Kelly thought he looked good enough to usurp Miller after just one week:

Moreno's trade value might be at its peak right now, as reactionary fantasy owners in need of running back depth look to snatch up Moreno. It could be a bit of a gamble waiting until after Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills to trade Moreno, as he may not put up another headline-grabbing stat line.

Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post noted that Moreno was limited in practices following the season opener due to a shoulder injury:

As ESPN.com's James Walker notes, Moreno has only had back-to-back 100-yard rushing games once in his career. This doesn't necessarily mean a dip in fantasy performance against the Bills, as Moreno could have plenty of opportunities to reach the end zone if Miami's attack is firing on all cylinders.

CBS Sports' Jamey Eisenberg detailed a few reasons to start Moreno Week 2:

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Miller may start again in Week 2 at Buffalo, but Moreno is easily the better Fantasy option. There's a good chance Moreno might not make it through the season because of potential knee problems, but when he's healthy and running like he did in Week 1, start him with confidence.

The Bills just allowed Matt Forte to gain 173 total yards in Week 1 (17 carries for 82 yards and eight catches for 87 yards), and last year Buffalo allowed 11 running backs to reach double digits in Fantasy points. Miller will continue to share touches with Moreno, but he should stay hot coming off his strong game against New England last week.

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Still, Miller's talent allows the 'Fins to ride the hot hand, so it may turn out that whichever back gets off to a hotter start is the one who gets the most touches against the Bills.

Going forward, look for Moreno to continue to fight for the starting role in Miami. Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin loves the spirit that the veteran back has shown since coming to the team.

"He’s very competitive,” he said, via Walker. “He’s very enthusiastic and loves the opportunity to compete and play. But he’s been very coachable on the sideline. I think he’s been fine."

ESPN.com predicted Moreno to finish the season ranked 40th among all running backs, with 950 all-purpose yards and six total touchdowns. Based on his average draft position, most fantasy owners had a bit more faith in the former University of Georgia standout.

Marc Serota/Getty Images

Moreno looks well on his way to surpassing those mild expectations and even those of most fantasy owners, although Miller's presence and the league's emphasis on backfield committees will likely prevent him from cracking the top 15 this season.

Should he remain healthy, one can expect a rampaging Moreno to rack up 1,300 all-purpose yards and eight to 10 total touchdowns.

Fantasy owners who were bullish on Miller's prospects before the season now have cause for concern, but there should be plenty of room for both backs to put up acceptable point totals week in and week out.

Quarterback Ryan Tannehill has yet to prove he can light up secondaries on a week-to-week basis, so establishing the running game may be the 'Fins' best course of action going forward. The future is bright for Moreno in South Florida.