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Since 2003, only once has Reggie Wayne failed to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in a season. It came in 2011 when Wayne fell just 40 yards shy of the 1,000 yard mark and people began to think his time in the NFL was slowly coming to an end. Little did they know, he would bounce back for a huge year in 2012. Wayne had 106 catches last year for 1,355 yards and five touchdowns. Obviously, he’s not ready to call it quits just yet.
It’s hard to imagine Wayne being this productive at wide receiver for too much longer, but who says 2013 will be the year he slows down? The Indianapolis Colts made a swift transition from one great quarterback to another, and Wayne is reaping the benefits. Andrew Luck may not be on Peyton Manning‘s level, but he was good enough to throw for over 4,000 yards as a rookie. Luck has the ability to deliver accurate strikes to his receivers in an offense that should get even better this year than it was last year.
The bottom line is that Wayne is an incredible route runner with great hands, and Luck loves to use him as a safety valve. While the Colts have added some younger, quicker and more explosive threats like T.Y Hilton and Darrius Heyward-Bey, we can count on Wayne to rack up plenty of receptions once again. The only big question mark with Wayne is his touchdown total. He hasn’t caught more than six touchdowns in any of the last three seasons, but this shouldn’t kill his fantasy value. The good outweighs the bad for Wayne because of how dependable he is as a pass catcher.
If you’re waiting for Wayne’s playing days to trickle to an end, don’t hold your breath. He’ll turn 35 years old in November during the thirteenth season of his career, but his productivity shouldn’t see a significant drop-off. Draft Wayne with confidence in 2013 as a reliable high-end WR2, especially if you’re playing with points per reception.
Jesse Schwartz is an NFL Writer at www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter.
