Chris Ivory has been OK for the New Orleans Saints, but surely the team wouldn't mind getting Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas back into its lineup. While Thomas is still on the mend, Bush may play this weekend. He's been out since week two with a broken right fibula, but doctors have said it's time for him to test the leg at full speed. That event could come Wednesday. "I expect to go out there and see what I can do," Bush said. "I don't know if I can practice, if I'm going to be 100 percent. I'm just going to go out there and give it my best shot. I feel good, but I haven't gone out there." Bush said he doesn't know yet if he can cut on the leg without pain. Thomas is still being held back by his high ankle sprain. He is frustrated that his recovery is taking so long -- he's been out since week four -- but there's really nothing he can do about it. Head coach Sean Payton is irked with media members trying to pry more out of him about his discussions with Thomas. "We're all frustrated with the injury, all right?, Payton said. "We're disappointed it's taken this long. And any communication -- and certainly Pierre and I are on the same page -- is for us, the club, the player, and it's simple."

Fantasy Analysis:

Give Bush some time to work himself back into action. Given his fragility, expect the Saints to be cautious with him for the next couple of weeks. You should expect Pierre to miss at least one more game and see where he's at for week 9. By that time, he'll have missed five games, which is right in the middle of his persona four-to-six-week recovery timetable. Bush's return probably causes a downgrade in the value of Lance Moore, who saw his numbers spike as soon as Bush went down. But as we've learned, it's hard to depend on any Saints WR in a given game. Ivory is probably a viable flex option until Thomas gets back on the field. By the way, the Saints face the Steelers this Sunday night, so try to avoid using any running back in this picture.