Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 13: Analyzing Boom-or-Bust Sleepers

The fantasy playoffs are imminent ahead of Week 13's NFL action, which means sleepers loom as large as ever, serving as make-or-break players in many pivotal matchups.

Distinguishing which recent risers or sneaky, logical skill players are worth deploying hinges on a considerable amount of luck. Given the stipulations, opposing defenses and recent trends, though, it's easier to detect what will likely transpire for a specific several buzz-worthy performers.

Here is a look at four boom-or-bust fantasy sleepers and whether they're worth deploying in this edition of start 'em, sit 'em.

Boom (Start): LeGarrette Blount, RB, New England Patriots

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After Le'Veon Bell rose to stardom this year as Pittsburgh's feature back, Blount was relegated to spot duty as a Steeler. Then he returned to the Patriots, the team he shined for late last season, and scored two touchdowns in Week 12's romp over the Detroit Lions' elite defense.

NFL Network's Albert Breer couldn't help but notice the humorous circumstances surrounding Blount's return to Foxborough:

Blount is familiar with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' system, which is what allowed him to thrive for 78 yards on 12 carries in his 2014 New England debut.

Perhaps most important, Blount is pleased to be back to a team where he has a shot to contribute in a big way:

When someone with Blount's rare combination of size and finesse is playing happy and running angry, it's a dangerous concoction for opponents to deal with.

ESPN Stats & Info highlighted how well Blount has run as a Patriot over the past couple of years:

Since Pats quarterback Tom Brady passed the ball a whopping 53 times versus Detroit, look for him to tone down that count considerably in facing the Green Bay Packers on the road.

A strong New England secondary headlined by Darrelle Revis will give the Packers' potent passing attack problems. The Patriots should do all they can to keep Aaron Rodgers and Co. off the field, and pounding the ball away with Blount on Green Bay's 30th-ranked rush defense is a viable strategy to accomplish that.

Even if Jonas Gray takes some totes as a ball-carrier, it would make the most sense to plug the 250-pound Blount in for carries in the scoring zone.

Bust (Sit): Doug Baldwin, WR, Seattle Seahawks

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Thursday games are always a bit of a wild card in terms of what to expect. The San Francisco 49ers have the league's No. 2 pass defense and are facing the third-worst passing offense.

That all but dooms Baldwin's potential sleeper status. Baldwin could be a trendy short-week flex play in deeper leagues because of a lack of alternatives in Seattle, but it's not advisable.

Pro Football Focus fantasy expert Mike Clay noticed how Baldwin was hardly involved in the passing game in last week's two-catch, six-yard outing—despite being the team's leading receiver by a long shot:

Baldwin has 46 receptions, and the next closest in overall catches is actually running back Marshawn Lynch (27). Although the Percy Harvin trade has an impact on the scarce production of Seattle's other wideouts, it goes to show how conservative the Seahawks are when they do pass and how reliant they are on the run.

Dual-threat quarterback Russell Wilson has run for 644 yards, which is 15th in the entire NFL. That has often been the result of poor pass protection and his receivers' inability to create separation.

The absence of Harvin and the loss of Golden Tate in the offseason have shown that Baldwin benefited greatly from the latter's presence last year.

Boom (Start): Jarvis Landry, WR, Miami Dolphins

A breakout, two-touchdown performance against Denver proved that Landry is a formidable fantasy commodity. The rookie second-round pick is improving by the week, along with young signal-caller Ryan Tannehill, and their rapport is evident.

Tannehill trusts Landry in possession situations, where the precocious route-runner is able to move the chains and excel in getting enough short-area separation despite lacking top-end speed.

Even with a meager 9.2 yards per reception, though, the big plays should inevitably come for Landry given that he's had 32 targets in the past four games.

Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post notes how Landry's field vision has translated successfully to special teams:

It's only a matter of time before Landry racks up the yards after catch too. In fact, that is something he flashed against the Broncos, per the Sun Sentinel's Omar Kelly:

Landry could be a fantasy game-changer in Week 13 because he's taking on the New York Jets' vulnerable secondary that has a dearth of personnel, particularly at the cornerback position.

The following Landry prediction on FantasyFootballLive from Yahoo Sports' Andy Behrens is well within reason:

With how often New York Jets coach Rex Ryan likes his defense to blitz—an expected strategy against the still-developing Tannehill—a lot of short, timing passes should fly Landry's way on Monday night.

A lot of Ryan's schemes are based on man coverage. It hasn't seemed to matter how limited his current defensive backs are—he's still going to be aggressive. If Landry is in man coverage and can make one man miss in the open field, there is reason to believe he's in for his best game yet.

Bust (Sit): Isaiah Crowell, RB, Cleveland Browns

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Let's not get confused—Crowell is a special, talented running back who has a bright career ahead of him. Look no further than All-Pro left tackle Joe Thomas' recent comments, via Cleveland Browns.com's Kevin Jones:

Crowell is just going to hit a bit of a speed bump this week when the Browns travel to Buffalo.

The games in which Cleveland QB Brian Hoyer has struggled most have been in losses to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans, who were both able to pressure him heavily. Both those contests also featured a struggling rushing attack due mostly to the absence of Pro Bowl center Alex Mack.

Josh Gordon's return to the receiving corps helped the Browns offense as a whole immensely in Week 12, but it also came against a sieve of an Atlanta Falcons defense.

Crowell's two touchdowns were impressive, particularly the one above, yet Terrance West logged more carries in Week 12 with 14 to Crowell's 12. Also bear in mind that Atlanta is ranked dead-last in pass defense, 24th against the run and had to account for Gordon on the back end, opening up running lanes for the undrafted rookie.

The Buffalo Bills present a far stiffer challenge in the cold outdoors of Ralph Wilson Stadium and feature perhaps the best defensive front Cleveland has handled all year in its league-worst schedule strength (h/t ESPN.com). Buffalo has only conceded 3.9 yards per carry this season.

That makes Crowell a tough fantasy endorsement. Buffalo will dare Hoyer to beat its defense through the air, pin its ears back and present challenges for the Browns up front all game in both dimensions of their offense.