The Rams "plan" to have RB Cam Akers (Achilles) back for the playoffs, GM Les Snead told NFL.com. It'd cap a remarkable recovery from Akers' mid-July Achilles tear. We'd be surprised if Akers had a big role in the playoffs -- but he'd turn Los Angeles' backfield into a 3-man committee alongside Sony Michel and Darrell Henderson.

The Rams have activated RB Cam Akers from IR. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports, however, that the team did so go help him receive pension credit for the season. A player apparently needs to be on the active roster for at least 3 games. Schefter adds that Akers is not expected to play in the regular season but could "contribute this post-season." Any level of involvement would be impressive for Akers after he suffered an Achilles' tendon tear in July. We wouldn't bet on him for significant fantasy impact even in NFL playoffs leagues, though.

Rams DL Greg Gaines is questionable for Sunday's game against the Vikings with an ankle injury. He put in limited practices Wednesday and Friday, with a missed practice in between. We'll see about Gaines' status Sunday morning.

The Rams on Friday activated S Jordan Fuller from the COVID list, clearing him to play against the Vikings on Sunday.

Rams TE Tyler Higbee has been activated from the COVID list. He figures to return for Sunday's game vs. the Vikings, although he'll carry elevated risk after missing most of the practice week.

Rams RB Cam Akers (Achilles) has been designated to return from IR. It's remarkable considering he tore his Achilles just about 5 months ago. The Rams now have 21 days to place Akers on the active roster. We certainly don't expect him to play before most fantasy seasons are over, but we'll keep an eye on Akers' progress. Perhaps he returns for the NFL playoffs.

Rams TE Tyler Higbee has been placed back on the COVID list. He, of course, missed last week's game vs. the Cardinals after a false positive test. He presumably actually tested positive this time and is now unlikely to play vs. the Seahawks on Tuesday night. With Higbee out last week, TE Kendall Blanton caught 2 of 3 targets for 29 yards.

Rams TE Tyler Higbee has been activated from the COVID list. He was forced to miss Monday night's game vs. the Cardinals due to a false positive -- a tough break for fantasy owners who needed him. Higbee will be back for Sunday's game vs. the Seahawks and could play an expanded role if WR Odell Beckham misses with his COVID.

Dolphins RB Malcolm Brown (quad) is expected to return to practice this week, according to The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson. Brown's status has suddenly become important with RBs Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed and Phillip Lindsay on the COVID list. Brown has been out since Week 7 but could play a significant role vs. the Jets on Sunday. We probably won't have a good idea of what Miami's backfield will look like for that one until late in the week.

The Rams have added TE Tyler Higbee to the COVID list, knocking him out for tonight's game against the Cardinals. That leaves Kendall Blanton and Brycen Hopkins at TE for the team. Blanton led Hopkins 5-3 in routes last week. Hopkins, however, was drafted earlier (Round 4 vs. undrafted), enjoyed the much more productive receiving career in college and brings a 75th-percentile speed score and 73rd-percentile SPARQ-x score for the position, according to PlayerProfiler.com. If you need a desperation fill-in TE, we'd go with him. Higbee has averaged just 5.2 targets per game for the year, so we don't expect his absence to significantly impact the fantasy outlook for anyone else on the team. We'll see whether he can make it back for the team's Week 15 game against Seattle.

Rams QB Matt Stafford's health is "certainly an issue," ESPN's Dianna Russini reports. Stafford is dealing with elbow pain and a chronic back issue, per Russini. Stafford has looked banged up on a few occasions this season and struggled in his last 2 outings prior to the bye. He's not listed on the Week 12 injury report, and we're not altering Stafford's projections vs. the Packers today. But his health will be worth keeping a close eye on the rest of the way.

Rams LB Ernest Jones (illness), CB Jalen Ramsey (knee) and OLB Von Miller (ankle) are questionable for Sunday night's game against the Titans. HC Sean McVay said Friday that he expects Jones and Ramsey to play, according to the team's website. Miller, on the other hand, will be a game-time decision. The Sunday night kickoff means most IDP lineups can't wait for that decision.

Rams RB Matt Stafford (back) is not listed on the final Week 9 injury report. He only got in a limited practice on Friday, but HC Sean McVay said all week that Stafford would be fine for Sunday night’s game vs. the Titans. He’s safe to use in fantasy lineups.

Rams QB Matt Stafford (back) missed practice again on Thursday. HC Sean McVay has said that he expects Stafford to play vs. the Titans on Sunday night -- and we haven't sensed any concern from Rams beat writers. But check back tomorrow for another update on Stafford.

Rams QB Matt Stafford missed Wednesday's practice with what he said was back stiffness. He added that he fully expects to play vs. the Titans on Sunday night. We'll see if he gets back on the practice field tomorrow.

Rams HC Sean McVay said Monday that he expects DT Sebastian Joseph-Day to be ready for Sunday's game against the Titans after he missed Week 8 with a chest injury, the team website reports. CB Darious Williams will return to practice this week as well, opening his 3-week window to return to the active roster. He missed the past 3 games while on IR with an ankle sprain.

Rams CB Jalen Ramsey (illness) and S Jordan Fuller (knee) are active for today's game against the Texans.

Rams CB Jalen Ramsey and S Jordan Fuller are questionable for Sunday's game against the Texans. Ramsey missed Thursday and Friday practices with an illness. We'd bet on him being ready for the game. Fuller sat out Wednesday's and Thursday's workouts completely with a knee issue but return for a full Friday practice. We'll check the status for both Sunday morning.

Dolphins RB Malcolm Brown will be placed on IR with a quad injury suffered in Sunday's loss to the Falcons, HC Brian Flores said Monday. Brown will be out at least the next 3 weeks vs. the Bills, Texans and Ravens. He's played 28% of Miami's offensive snaps and averaged 4.7 carries and .7 targets per game, so his absence leaves behind a little extra work for RBs Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed.

Rams QB Matt Stafford injured his right index finger in the 2nd quarter of Thursday night's win over the Seahawks but was able to play through it after getting a tape job. “I don’t know (what happened),” Stafford said afterward. “I looked down at a certain point on a drive in the second quarter, I think the one we kicked a field goal on, and I just looked down and felt a little pressure (in the finger). I maybe got it on a handoff or a snap or something. Not 100 percent sure. I looked down, felt a little bit of pressure in there and it was just a little bit out of place. Was able to put it back in and keep going, it didn’t affect me too much, to be honest with you.” Stafford missed a few throws in the win, although it's unclear if the misfires were caused by the finger injury. We'll keep an eye on the situation when the Rams get back to work next week, but Stafford should be fine for Week 6's matchup with the Giants.