'Who Needs Reality?': Excellent Fantasy Football Starts for Week 13

Week 13 in the NFL season is a little bittersweet. On one hand it's fantastic. The weather is getting colder, postseason football is right around the corner and Thanksgiving, otherwise known as the greatest holiday of the year, is upon us. We have three excellent games to watch this Thursday as we enjoy the luxuries and blessings that are family, friends and food. 

On the other hand, Week 13 is quite melancholy. Regular season football is almost over and many of us have fantasy football squads that are nothing but sorry reminders of drafts we wish we could do over. 

I am an optimist, however, so I try to look at the positives, and one absolute positive of Week 13, which is the last week of the fantasy football season for most, is that many teams are in "win and you're in" situations. (The pessimist might view this as "lose and you're out," but who needs them?)

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 13. 

Please remember 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

Nick Wass/Associated Press

I am far from a Matthew Stafford fan, yet this week I can't deny his potential. While most of us will be drooling over turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving, Stafford will be salivating at the matchup with his opponent, the Chicago Bears. 

The Bears have given up the second-most fantasy points this season to opposing quarterbacks, and two pivotal members of their defense, linebacker Lance Briggs and cornerback Kyle Fuller, may miss the game. The Bears defense is not very effective when healthy, so if two starters are watching from the sideline, it's hard not to love Stafford on Turkey Day.  

• 350 yards, one interception, one fumble lost and three touchdowns = 22 points

Other Solid Ball-Throwers

• Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens have the treat this week of hosting the San Diego Chargers for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff. The Chargers do not travel cross-country well; the last time they played at this time on the East Coast, they lost 37-0 to the Miami Dolphins. Flacco should have no trouble throwing two touchdowns, and he has the potential to throw even more depending on what plays the Ravens decide to run. 

• Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins: Tannehill was on the start list last week and came through beautifully. Simply put, Tannehill has been one of the better fantasy football quarterbacks this season, yet he's hardly received the attention he deserves. On Monday Night Football this week, he'll have the national spotlight to show off his skills. 

Running Backs to Start 

Stephan Savoia/Associated Press

At this point in the season, if you are making difficult start/sit decisions with your running backs, kudos to you. Most of us are not in such a fortunate situation where we have more than two viable starters, so if you're the bearer of wealth and depth, congratulations.

I don't need to tell you to start any stud running backs, so it goes without saying that Arizona Cardinals running back Andre Ellington should be in all starting lineups this week. Ellington doesn't seem to have the "stud" label attached to his name yet, however there's no reason why not. He's the 10th-highest scoring runner in standard-scoring leagues and the ninth-highest scorer in PPR formats. So, yes, start Ellington this week—he's a stud. 

• 111 rushing yards, five receptions, 45 passing yards and two total touchdowns = 27 points (32 in PPR)

Other Solid Ball-Runners

• Denard Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars: Thankfully I wasn't high on Robinson last week, yet his lowly performance does not scare or worry me whatsoever. The Colts were playing very stingy defense, and the cards just weren't in Robinson's favor. He should have much better luck this Sunday, in Jacksonville, against the New York Giants.

• Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills: Jackson is the antithesis of "exciting," yet he is surely synonymous with "durable." At 33, Jackson is one of the oldest running backs in the league, yet he's a tank and is back, yet again, from injury. He won't be flashy, yet he'll remain a reliable option for the Bills, whether it be taking handoffs or catching the ball. I think he'll score twice this Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. 

• Alfred Blue, Houston Texans: Let's me be clear here. Alfred Blue is a great start if Arian Foster doesn't play. The extent of Foster's groin injury is not really well known by anyone outside of the Houston Texans locker room, so we likely won't know until Saturday or early Sunday if Foster will suit up. If he sits out for the third week in a row, Blue has a juicy matchup against the Tennessee Titans. (If Foster suits up, you can still consider Blue as a flex play, but expect modest production with a more limited workload.) 

Wide Receivers to Start

I was very bullish on New York Giants rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. last week. I named him my must-start wide receiver of the week and said he would shine to "epic proportions." Well, "OBJ" came through for me—big time—so by the laws of the fantasy gods, there is no way this week's pick will be as good. Alas, I will give it a shot...

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

This week my top wide receiver pick New England Patriots wideout Brandon LaFell. A lot of analysts are projecting the Patriots to go run-heavy in an effort to control the clock in this game, yet I don't think there is any way they stay in the game without putting the ball in the air often. 

Also, I think of the Patriots offense as a revolving door of success, and LaFell is due for a stellar week. He'll be a top-seven fantasy wideout this week. 

• Nine catches, 109 yards and a touchdown = 16 points (25 in PPR)

Other Solid Pass-Catchers

• Martavis Bryant, Pittsburgh Steelers: Bryant emerged with authority this season, catching six touchdowns over his first four games. (He didn't see the field until Week 7.) Pittsburgh was on a bye last week, yet in Week 11, Bryant put up a stinker, catching only two balls for 11 yards. With the Steelers well-rested and back in the Steel City this weekend, I love Bryant to get back to his touchdown-scoring ways. 

• Torrey Smith, Baltimore Ravens: Like Bryant, Smith is a long-ball threat who is somewhat "boom or bust." Most weeks, he's a scary start, yet I am confident he'll find the end zone this week against a San Diego Chargers team I expect to struggle in Baltimore.  

• Jordan Matthews, Philadelphia Eagles: I am convinced at this point Matthews is the preferred target of quarterback Mark Sanchez. Fellow Eagles wideout Jeremy Maclin may have been the apple of Nick Foles' eye, yet Sanchez seems to prefer the youthful Matthews. I like the rookie to torch the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving, as he'll find himself in very exploitable single coverage. (At least until the Cowboys catch on and double up the defense against him.)

Tight Ends to Start  

Mike Groll/Associated Press

The 2014 season will not be remembered as the year of the tight end. The position is officially a wasteland full of inconsistent play and involvement. Only five tight ends have scored more than 100 total points this season in standard scoring formats, and one of those players, Antonio Gates, has been wildly unreliable. 

Unless you're a Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham, Julius Thomas or Greg Olsen owner, the unfortunate reality is that you're rolling the dice every week with your tight end. Subsequently, you're perfectly content with seven points.

So while you shouldn't set your standards too high, here are some players who have favorable matchups:

• Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans: Walker is the sole reliable player on the Titans offense. He has the athletic ability to run long routes, and his matchup against the Houston Texans is favorable. 

• Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs: He's definitely the best receiver on the Chiefs. Against the Denver Broncos this week, the Chiefs will need to put the ball in the air. I fully believe Kelce can eclipse 100 receiving yards this week for the first time this season. 

• Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys: I'm not sitting Witten on Thanksgiving. That would be as ludicrous as skipping out on turkey and ordering a pizza.  

Defense/Special Teams to Start

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

As I have mentioned multiple times already in this article, I don't expect the San Diego Chargers to play particularly well this Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. That being said, it's no surprise my favorite defense this week is the Ravens. Not only should they keep the score low, but I think this unit will collect a few sacks and force one or two turnovers. The Ravens are hot and at home; there isn't much not to love. 

Other Solid Defense/Special Teams Starts

• Minnesota Vikings (vs. Carolina Panthers)

• Seattle Seahawks (at San Francisco 49ers)

• St. Louis Rams (vs. Oakland Raiders)

There we have it, folks. I hope these picks come through for your fantasy squads, and more importantly, I hope everyone across the country has a fantastic Thanksgiving filled with football, family, friends, food and, of course, thanks. 

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). 

Joe Rapolla Jr. covers the Denver Broncos and fantasy football for Bleacher Report.

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