You didn't want to be here. This wasn't part of the plan back in August. You were supposed to have already punched your ticket to the playoffs.

Still, here you are. You need a win, and maybe some help, to get into the post-season. It's now or never, and your starters act like they prefer the latter option. So what can you do?

You can't guarantee yourself a spot in the playoffs, but you can put yourself in the best possible position to get there. In any case, you can't give up. Try these tips to give yourself a fighting chance.

I can't say they're guaranteed to work, of course. Think of them like Anchorman's Sex Panther cologne: Sixty percent of the time, they work every time!

Start high ceiling vs. high floor. If your team has been underwhelming, this isn't the time to go for the safer option. You might have a player (or there might be one on the waiver wire) who comes through with a big week every so often. Now's the time to start him and hope for that big week. If playing it safe put you in this position, it's time to play a different way. Go for the high reward, even if it comes with high risk.

Use Your friends in Las Vegas. I'm not much of a gambler, but I acknowledge the time and effort that goes into building point spreads and over/under numbers. If you're having trouble deciding who to start, look for games with higher predicted point totals.

You can also factor in variables like weather, injuries and games in domes. But Vegas already takes all that into account, plus other stuff I don't even understand. I guess that's why they make billions and we're trying to make the fantasy playoffs. We can still use their research, though. It makes for a decent tie-breaker, at least.

Reach out to other owners. You might need some help to make the playoffs, and that means keeping your eye on another game. If the team you need to lose is playing a league cupcake or a disinterested owner, go ahead and reach out to that other owner. Encourage them to make a special effort this week and play spoiler. Let them know there's talent on the waiver wire, they should get injured guys out of their lineup, and wouldn't it be fun to ruin their opponent's entire season?

You can't control that other team, but you can encourage them to put up a fight. Maybe a few extra points makes the difference for them, and that difference could mean everything to you. It's worth an e-mail or phone call this week.

Accept that you might still lose. You know this might all be for nothing, right? Your opponent could have a monster day, your guys could all disappoint, the other team you needed to lose might win, or all of those things could happen. You might pick the wrong kicker, or a goal-line stand in a late game could end up costing you a playoff spot. You never know.

But that's the game you signed up to play. And really, this is part of the fun. Some owners were eliminated weeks ago and would love to be in your position. And there's something interesting about needing different scenarios to play out while everything is on the line. In your fantasy career you'll win big, get blown out, barely win a title, suffer a heart-breaking week 16 defeat and maybe even win a championship easily. Anything can happen.

You can also squeeze into the post-season or miss it by the slimmest of margins. It's all part of the experience. So embrace it and accept whatever happens. At least you'll know you did everything in your power (which isn't all that much, when you think about it) to have things break your way. Good luck this week.

Any special tips for a must-win week? Do you need a bunch of crazy tie-breakers on your side to make the playoffs? Share your thoughts below.