'Who Needs Reality?': Excellent Fantasy Football Starts for Week 12

There are only two weeks left in the fantasy football season before the playoffs! Hit the panic button! Cue the heavy breathing! Offer up a desperation trade!

Well, hopefully you all are handling the final stretch of the regular season in fantasy football better than that. By this point, actually, the panic should have subsided for a large handful of teams. If you have over six wins or less than four, then you know that you either playoff bound or prepping for next year, respectively. 

For all those 6-5, 5-6 and 4-7 teams, however, my condolences. These next two weeks in fantasy football are going to bring you to your wits end and test your willpower like it has never been tested before. You will laugh, you will cry and, at the end of it all, you might make the playoffs. 

These are crucial and trying times in fantasy football, and I wish you all the best of luck. Here are some recommendations I have for excellent starts in Week 12. 

Please remember that I use a standard scoring system when projecting these points:

• One point per 10 rushing or receiving yards
• One point per 25 passing yards
• Six points for each rushing or receiving touchdown
• Four points for passing touchdowns
• Minus-two points for interceptions and fumbles lost

Additionally, be sure to stay tuned to the official NFL injury report to get the official word on who is in and who is out come game day.

Finally, please remember that with this column, I intend to list players you should start who wouldn't be ultra-obvious picks. Therefore, I won't be telling you to start Peyton Manning, Matt Forte, Julio Jones, etc. 

Quarterbacks to Start

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers will not only be happy to be back home in Northern California this week, but I assume they are also very pleased to be hosting the Washington Redskins. 

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The Redskins looked nothing short of miserable last week when they lost 27-7, at home, to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Redskins secondary had no answer for Bucs rookie wide receiver Mike Evans, Bucs quarterback Josh McCown was rarely under pressure and the Redskins passing offense was a mess. Aside from running back Alfred Morris, the entire Redskins offense should be embarrassed with the product they put on the field. 

Kaepernick and the 49ers are licking their lips for this one, so it's a no surprise that I am recommending Kaepernick as an excellent start this week. The 49ers will have no trouble moving the ball in this game, so start Kaepernick with confidence this week.  

• 250 yards, one pick, two touchdowns, 45 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown = 26 points

Other Solid Ball-Throwers

• Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons: I've been a big Matt Ryan fan this season at times when I should not have been, but given how inconsistent and fluky quarterback play has been for much of the league this year, Ryan hasn't been the worst option. He's certainly been underwhelming aside from a few big weeks, but he hasn't been a disaster. This week, it's hard not to like him at home against the Cleveland Browns, who just last week let a backup quarterback making his first start complete a touchdown pass to a defensive end. 

• Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins: I think the Dolphins are walking into an extremely tough situation this week in Denver. The Broncos just got embarrassed by the St. Louis Rams last week and were held to only seven points. That's like Kobe Bryant taking 30 shots and ending the game with six points. The Denver offense is not used to games like last week's, and as a result, I expect Peyton Manning and company to be playing with a vengeance on Sunday. Poor Miami Dolphins. So why do I like Tannehill the week? Because Miami is going to have to throw the ball a lot. 

Running Backs to Start  

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For the third week in a row, the running back matchups this week are pretty unfavorable. Some of the studs have great matchups, (Matt Forte vs. Tampa Bay and Jamaal Charles vs. Oakland, in particular) but you're not sitting those guys regardless of opponent. As for the cusp players, there's a lot of rough situations this week. Here are some guys that you might be thinking about sitting, but I would recommend against doing so. 

• Isaiah Crowell, Cleveland Browns: I'd be lying like Pinocchio if I said the Cleveland running situation didn't scare me. Encouraging news for Crowell this week is that Ben Tate was released from the team, meaning that Browns are confident in Crowell and/or fellow rookie Terrance West. The bad news for Crowell is that he fumbled last week, and Browns had coach Mike Pettine has been pretty fickle this year with the hot hand. The fact that Crowell saw work after his fumble, however, makes me confident that Crowell is the de facto starter in Cleveland. West could easily come in and vulture some carries and even a touchdown, yet Crowell should see at least 15 touches against an Atlanta Falcons defense that would struggle to stop a decent high school running back. 

• C.J. Anderson, Denver Broncos: The Broncos have joined the Browns in that I want no part of their running backs in fantasy. That said, Anderson is a decent start this week, particularly in PPR leagues. I could see him easily racking up six to 10 receptions. 

• Justin Forsett, Baltimore Ravens: Not my guttiest call here, yet some people still do not believe in Forsett. The Ravens are committed to running the ball, and he's got a great matchup this week against the New Orleans Saints. Forsett may not be the sexiest player in fantasy, but his solid and consistent productions make him too good for your bench. 

Wide Receivers to Start

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I'm all about New York Giants rookie Odell Beckham Jr. this week. Actually, I've been all about him all season, yet I think this week he shines to epic proportions. The Giants always come to play when they host the Dallas Cowboys, and I have to believe that Giants quarterback Eli Manning will bounce back after his horrid performance last week. (In case you missed it, he threw five more interceptions than I did last Sunday.) 

I think the Cowboys will be focusing their energy on blitzing Manning and stopping the run, leaving Beckham free to exploit some single coverage. The Giants are basically just playing for pride at this point, so I'd be surprised if Eli doesn't take some deep shots for his rookie receiver in an effort to stymie their division foe and put on a show in Jersey. 

• Seven catches, 145 yards and a touchdown = 20 points (27 in PPR)

Other Solid Pass-Catchers

• Kenny Stills, New Orleans Saints: I was really saddened by the news that Saints rookie wide receiver Brandin Cooks broke his thumb and was placed on IR this past week. Cooks was fun to watch this year, and I think he has a very bright future in the league. Moving on, I think Stills, who has already been productive, moves into the bona fide No. 1 wide receiver role in New Orleans. 

• Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts: An interesting trend is developing this season amongst Colts wide receivers. While wideout T.Y. Hilton has been the more productive receiver on the road, Wayne has been a total homebody this season. He's been as inconsistent as it gets this season, yet three of his four best games have occurred in Indianapolis. This week, the Colts host the Jacksonville Jaguars, so I like Wayne to continue the trend. 

• Andrew Hawkins, Cleveland Browns: This week marks the return of embattled Cleveland wide receiver Josh Gordon from suspension, so why am I recommending Hawkins as a good start? Because Hawkins has had his best games this season when he isn't the No. 1 wideout. He performed excellent when tight end Jordan Cameron was healthy, slumped when Cameron was injured and reemerged last week when wide receiver Taylor Gabriel saw 13 targets. Let's just face it—Hawkins loves being No. 2. 

Tight Ends to Start  

The tight end position has been an utter wasteland in fantasy this season save from Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham, Julius Thomas and Greg Olsen. (And even these guys have fought injuries and inconsistency this season.) 

Brian Blanco/Associated Press

Basically, we are at the point where, unless you own one of the aforementioned four guys, you're starting a guy who you expect to get you five points and might make it 12 with a touchdown. It's pretty bland, but at least most of us are at the same point, so there's a good chance your weakness at tight end won't cost you a fantasy game. 

To make a bleak situation even bleaker, this week features Olsen on bye and Thomas day-to-day with an ankle injury. If you have a tight end who gets you even eight points in standard scoring leagues this week, kudos to you. Here are some worthwhile considerations:

• Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs: I'm starting to sound like a broken record with him, yet his athleticism and the lack of wide receiver talent on Kansas City make him an asset despite his inconsistent role. Kansas City doesn't throw a lot, but he is basically the team's best receiver. 

• Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Tampa Bay Bucs: Don't let last week's bad game scare you. The Chicago Bears are atrocious against tight end. Even Rhett Ellison scored last week for the Minnesota Vikings against them. 

• Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys: Witten is nearing the end of his fantastic career, but that doesn't mean he's too washed up to beat up on the New York Giants like he's been doing for years. 

Defense/Special Teams to Start

My favorite player in this week's Thursday Night Football showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Oakland Raiders is not Chiefs' running back Jamaal Charles, but the Kansas City D/ST. 

I do think Charles will have a fabulous game, and I think Kelce has some great potential, yet I think the Chiefs defense will be the story of the night. This unit has been, in my opinion, the best in the NFL over the last few weeks. I don't see the Raiders giving them any trouble at all. A Kansas City shutout would not surprise me. 

Other Solid Defense/Special Teams Starts

• Buffalo Bills (vs. New York Jets)

• New York Jets (at Buffalo Bills)

• Indianapolis Colts (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)

There we go, folks. Hopefully I'm on the money with some of these picks this week, and I hope the fantasy gods reward you with a victory.

Remember to always refer to your gut and intuition as the source you trust the most when making a tough lineup decision. Sometimes, it's easy to predict how things will play out logically. Often times, however, logic—and reality—is overrated. 

Who needs reality? We've got fantasy (football). 

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All stats courtesy of NFL.com and FFToday.com.