Friday updates

Here are a few snippets from my column for today's Sporting News Fantasy Source.

Looks like one more week of rest for Ahmad Bradshaw, who is still not practicing on his injured foot. Brandon Jacobs will continue to carry the load against the Saints on Monday night.

Shonn Green (rib) is expected to suit up against the Bills on Sunday. But so is Joe McKnight, who fared well as a runner and receiver after being pressed into duty against the Broncos last week. With LaDainian Tomlinson (knee) also on the mend, this backfield is probably one worth avoiding in Week 12.

Ryan Mathews’ fortunes have dipped along with his team’s performance. He hasn’t scored since Week 3, he fumbled twice in the Week 11 loss and he can’t seem to shake the injury bug. A persistently sore knee has him iffy for Sunday’s matchup against an improving Denver defense that has allowed the third-fewest rushing scores in the NFL. Leave him on your bench this week, even if he suits up.

Stevie Johnson is playing with a bum shoulder, which has contributed to a two-game slump in which he’s managed only four catches for 24 total yards. Think twice before starting him on Revis Island.

A.J. Green is expected to return from his knee injury, but he’ll be shadowed by Joe Haden. That said, Haden doesn’t yet have a clever nickname, so Green is worth a gamble in your starting lineup if he’s active. Be sure you’re following my tweets (@ladd_biro) for all the pre-game inactive reports and other late-breaking news.

Fellow rookie Julio Jones (hamstring) is also expected back for the tasty matchup with the Vikings.

Jeremy Maclin will likely miss another game with his hamstring and shoulder injuries. Look for another start from Riley Cooper, who is a reasonable flex candidate due to his strong rapport with Young and the favorable matchup with the Patriots.

Tyler Palko is set to start in Week 12, but it’s probably more of a favor to Kyle Orton that the team is throwing Palko to the wolves (a.k.a., Steelers) instead of their new acquisition. Expect Orton to get the starting nod in Week 13 against his old friends in Chicago.

My Shonn/Knowshon Draft

The Flower Mound Fantasy Football League (FMFFL) held its annual draft over 3 1/2 grueling hours on Sunday night, causing one anonymous new owner to grumble during his popular radio show the next day that he was forced to watch the Emmys on fast-forward afterwards. Um, you tell me: Gay or not gay?

I had the 8th pick in the 10-team league. This is a PPR league that starts 3 RBs (!!!) and does NOT require a TE (they count as WRs). Here's my team:

Round 1: Drew Brees -- I'm all-in with Brees so far this season (have him in 3 leagues, with one still to go). The guy picking 7th took Rodgers, which made my preferred call even easier.

2. Miles Austin -- Almost jumped at Mendenhall, but took my own advice and secured an elite WR before they were gone.

3. Shonn Greene -- I'm not as high on him as many experts are, but he's an absolute steal late in the 3rd round. I love my first 3 picks.

4. Knowshon Moreno -- The Shonn/Knowshon tandem should be strong, assuming Moreno makes it back by Week 1 as expected. One thing we know: He's Denver's only legit back. As long as he's healthy, he's their workhorse.

5. Anquan Boldin-- Thrilled that he's still available here. I actually have two elite WRs now.

6. Ronnie Brown -- Nice value in the 6th and a solid every-week third starter.

7. Hakeem Nicks -- I'm of the belief that Nicks will out-perform Steve Smith in the Giants' WR corps this year so, again, I'm patting myself on the back. (Note: History has shown that the happier I am after a draft, the worse my team is...)

8. Ricky Williams -- You're playing with fire if you draft Ronnie and don't back him up quickly with Ricky. I wasn't sure if I was pulling the trigger too early, but judging by the groans I heard from my competitors, it's a good thing I did. Even without the Ronnie connection, Ricky was the best RB still on the board.

9. Pierre Garcon -- I am very pleased with the way my WR corps is stacking up.

10. Philly D/ST -- The Jets were taken in the early 9th, starting a mini run. The Eagles were 3rd on my draft board, and I made them the 5th unit selected.

11. Thomas Jones -- I don't buy the rumors that he'll start over Jamaal, but I do believe he'll have a significant role in the Chiefs' offense. And he'll be gold if Jamaal takes a dive.

12. Jacoby Jones -- One of my favorite sleepers. Earlier, I had lost Arian Foster when I took Boldin and hoped he'd still be there at the turn. This was the night after Foster ran all over the Cowboys, so his exploits were fresh on peoples' minds. I figured that could be the case with Jones, too, since he hauled in a beautiful TD pass during the game. Probably jumped too soon, but didn't want to make the same mistake twice.

13. Santonio Holmes -- With five terrific WRs already in place, I have the luxury of stashing Holmes away during his 4-game suspension. He'll vie for starting consideration on my team by late October.

14. Mark Sanchez -- Henne and Alex Smith were already gone, so Sanchez will be my Week 10 bye-week sub. He plays the Browns!

15. Larry Johnson -- You know I like his chances of taking over for Portis. The starter's recent ankle injury only increases my confidence.

16. Mason Crosby -- Kickers were already flying, so I decided to grab my guy a tad earlier than usual.

17. Toby Gerhart -- I don't wish AP any ill will, but if...just if...he were to suffer an injury, this pick will pay off big time.

All in all, I'm happy with this team. Love my starting lineup, and I have the strongest top-to-bottom WR corps in my league, bar none. My RB depth is good, not great, which could prove to be an issue at some point in a league where three RBs start each week.

One thing's for certain: If Brees is injured this year, I'm completely screwed.

Thoughts from the Fools?