Rookie Felix Jones of the Dallas Cowboys has scored his first “honor” of the season: He placed No. 1 among the list of athletes on the Rising Sports Star ranking for September 2011 from Brand Affinity Technologies.

According to BAT, “The lockout may have worked to Felix Jones’ advantage – lighter, faster and stronger, the first-year Dallas Cowboys running back has put on quite the pre-season show. Recording 15 carries and 99 yards in the first three pre-season games, Jones has earned the respect of teammates and coaches.”

BAT said their stats show Jones also has become a top fantasy football pick, which may or may not change when the Cowboys play the Miami Dolphins tonight in their final pre-season game and then open the regular season against the Minnesota Vikings.

Second on the list for  tennis pro, John Isner, who won the Winston-Salem Open title as a prelude to playing in the U.S. Open.

BAT said it determines its list each month based on a combination of “media exposure, performance, awards, popularity, engagement, and fan base, among other indicators, for more than 45,000 athletes and celebrities.”

One reason that Specific attention is paid to athletes whose rise or fall in from the previous month has been dramatic.

Also among the Top Ten for September are Boston Red Sox pitcher Andrew Miller, who entered September with a 6-1 record; and Danica Patrick, who said she would be leaving IndyCar racing in 2012 to compete full-time in the Nascar Nationwide series; and Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens.

“These stars represent fresh, high-performing talent for marketers looking to capitalize on the incredible passion that consumers have for their favorite sports stars,” Ryan Steelberg, CEO of Brand Affinity Technologies, said in a statement.

“Many of the pros on this list are underutilized as advertising partners and are poised to deliver strong return via online and social as well as more traditional campaigns,” said Steelberg. “Time and again, we’ve seen brands that move quickly to sign rising talent come out ahead as breakout stars become top performers.”