It’s almost that time of year again.

The next few weeks will likely leave you with a nebulous recollection of a late-semester malaise. Common symptoms may include Adderall vertigo, poor nutrition, sleep deprivation and a bruised self-concept.

That’s right. The fantasy football postseason has arrived.

Stay positive. Look on the bright side, gamers. At least you’ll have final exam preparations to distract you during this critical period of roto-induced stress.

Unfortunately, there is no counseling offered at Binghamton University to students overwhelmed by the ineptitude of Darren McFadden and Ryan Mathews. The best medicine is to realize what wisdom your flawed predictions have brought you and to try to move on. Fantasy baseball is only three months away.

The 13th week of the 2012 NFL season is here whether you’re ready for it or not, and you should understand that the fantasy football gods rarely respond to prayer between now and the close of the season. Hopefully you got all of that out of the way during the earlier weeks.

Beginning to doubt the existence of the fantasy football gods? I understand. The top teams in each league are not all led by football sages. The reward for your research seems to be marginal and fortune favors your opponents consistently. Though you’ve amassed a respectable total of points on the season, head-to-head success is startlingly unimpressive.

I get it. However, what you may have failed to detect up until this moment is the ostensibly comical nature of roto divinity.

This week is generally the last of regularly scheduled contests in the fantasy football community and it’s fairly certain that Beanie Wells, DeMarco Murray and Darren McFadden will all be making returns to regular action. What this means for the majority of owners who’ve endured such dispositions is that the aforementioned big-name running backs, presumed to contribute sizably to their respective squads at the time of the draft, showed up for battle just in time for the post-war parade.

Sold? This stuff has to come from somewhere. If you own any combination of the three, chances are that you’ve already been burned by their disappointing 2012 campaigns. With such episodes in mind, don’t you ever wonder if there truly are omnipotent beings perched atop Pigskin Mountain amused by your frustration? It sure seems like it sometimes.

By now, playoff pushes have either been thwarted, completed or remain in progress. Week 13 in fictional football leagues is similar to Week 17 of the NFL regular season. Depending on your position in the standings, you may have a lot to gain from a win at the conclusion of this weekend.

You may also have feelings of total ambivalence, having been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention before anybody even knew who Marcel Reece was. Regardless, it’s always nice to finish the season on a high note.

A brief review of the standings and total point accumulations of each team up to this point may generate a bit of surprise. Perhaps there’s more parity in your league than you had expected, assuming that it’s devoid of comatose managers.

It wouldn’t be uncommon in the least. The truth is that one week can make or break a season. One poor start/sit decision could easily cost you a league championship appearance. The standings ordinarily tend to be cramped. There’s little room for uneducated decisions and absolutely no room for roster negligence.

Don’t lose focus. You may only be a few matchups away from make-believe football coronation.