WR Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts

HT: 6-0, WT: 195, Born: 11-17-1978, College: Miami, Drafted: Round 1, Pick 30

2013 Projections

Average draft position

Current as of May 6th. [Full ADP list]

Overall: M Colston (47), H Nicks (48), Reggie Wayne (49), J Witten (50), M Ryan (51)
Position: M Colston (47-WR17), H Nicks (48-WR18), Reggie Wayne (49 - WR19), D Bowe (54-WR20), E Decker (55-WR21)
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PPR Average draft position

Current as of May 6th. [Full PPR ADP list]

Overall: J Nelson (46), M Colston (47), Reggie Wayne (48), H Nicks (49), R Mathews (50)
Position: J Nelson (46-WR16), M Colston (47-WR17), Reggie Wayne (48 - WR18), H Nicks (49-WR19), E Decker (52-WR20)
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2013 Schedule

2012 Game Summaries

Week 1 - Wayne didn’t look like a 12 year veteran in this game. He was frequently found the soft spot of the defenses, and Luck got him the ball where he could make a play. On one play he laid completely out to make the catch, coming down hard on the ball and getting the wind knocked out of him. Two plays later he was back in and working his butt off for his rookie QB. On the first drive of the 4th quarter, Wayne had two nice receptions for 20 yards, and he added another six yard reception to set up the TD pass to Avery. On that play, Wayne was more of a decoy, going in motion so that Luck could hit Avery on the other side. Luck is going to struggle this season, but Reggie Wayne is the guy he’s going to look for when he’s in trouble.

Week 2 - Just call him ‘Old Reliable’ as Wayne continues to play well despite age slowly overtaking him. It was the smart thing to bring him back for Luck and has clearly paid off. Wayne scored on a nice 30 yard pass where Luck rolled out right and Wayne got a few steps ahead of his coverage. Luck hit him in stride and Wayne easily sauntered into the end zone.

Week 3 - Reggie Wayne's transition from Peyton Manning to Kerry Collins to Curtis Painter was painful. His transition to Andrew Luck has been seamless. Luck and Wayne showed off a great rapport in this game as Luck repeatedly threw passes his way. Wayne finished the game with eight receptions and caught all different types of passes. His first reception was a poorly thrown screen pass from Luck that Wayne did well to adjust to. His second was against double coverage when he did well to come back to the football ahead of the defender who was waiting on the interception. It was a veteran move from a veteran receiver. He did drop a wide open reception underneath and bobbled a wide open pass over the middle that cost him YAC opporunity, but those were blips on a very impressive performance. He caught an out route for 15 yards, a crossing route for 13 beating two defenders, multiple deep curls as well as a nonchalant one-handed reception in the flat. Based solely on this performance, Wayne looks like the best possession receiver in the NFL.

Week 5 - Much like the Carolina Panthers’ Steve Smith and Cam Newton, Reggie Wayne is finding plenty of chemistry with Andrew Luck. This game was the culmination of several weeks where the veteran and rookie became more and more comfortable with each other. The pairing has definitely given Wayne a new spring in his step and he is playing sharper—and tougher—football than in the last few years. One play really caught the eye in the first quarter. It was a simple nine yard catch which, at first glance wasn’t special looking. However, looking at it again, Wayne was surprisingly physical on the route. He and receiver Donnie Avery were bunched up on Luck’s left side. Avery went long, while Wayne ran right at cornerback Tramon Williams, just past the five yard mark of the route. Williams was not ready for it and was shoved backwards, giving Wayne a lot of separation and plenty of time to make the catch. Wayne also benefited from huge cushions the defensive backs gave him. He was often able to make catches on shorter routes because there was just too much space for the defenders to overcome. Despite this, the Packers never seemed to adjust, never doubling him and rarely adding a safety to support. By far, Wayne was Luck’s ‘Go-to’ guy at any spot on the field—short, long, red zone, or in his own end. As if all this wasn’t enough, Wayne finished the game fighting cramps and yet still was a huge factor in the winning drive.

Week 6 - Reggie Wayne and Antonio Cromartie spent the majority of the game battling for position. Cromartie was flagged three times for pass interference calls, but got the better of Wayne on his third drive. Luck threw a catchable ball behind Wayne, Wayne tipped the ball up, and Cromartie intercepted it. For the rest of the afternoon, Wayne settled into soft underbelly of the Jets’ zone defense and collected a few big gains. Wayne’s biggest play of the day came on the Colts’ last offensive play. Wayne caught a 29-yard pass down the seam, but lazily fumbled it away. Wayne’s production was a product of the game’s score rather than an extraordinary effort.

Week 7 - Wayne was again the favorite target for Andrew Luck. He opened the game with nearly half of his yardage on a perfectly timed deep crossing route off of play-action. Luck was right on the money between three defenders in zone coverage to find the veteran receiver. Wayne just missed a touchdown on a post route later in the game. With blanket coverage, Luck’s pass was just a little behind, giving the defender a chance to break up the play. With a perfect throw out in front of Wayne, it would have been a touchdown. Luck and Wayne also failed to connect on a deep pass. There was tight coverage by Joe Haden, but it looked like a miscommunication as Luck’s throw was far off-target. Wayne displayed his great hands in the second half. With tight coverage, Wayne collected a power throw by Luck, securing the pass with his fingertips. Wayne delivered over 70 yards and just missed a touchdown in what is considered a down game in fantasy terms. Wayne continues to be one of the best fantasy receivers in the game on a weekly basis with a high floor and high ceiling of potential production.

Week 8 - Reggie Wayne continues to be quietly productive in the Colts reinvigorated passing offense. He primarily runs deep crosses, quick outs, and fly patterns. The Titans tried to cover him with man coverage much of the game, allowing Wayne to be wide open at a number of critical junctures. When Wayne found himself in zone coverage he had less success, including one pass that was intercepted by Michael Griffin. Wayne was hobbled in the fourth quarter but returned on the next series to make his best catch of the day. On the play, Wayne ran past Ryan Mouton to the middle left of the field and hauled in a well-thrown 20 yard pass from Andrew Luck. Two plays later the Colts' Vick Ballard scored on a short pass giving the Colts the victory. Wayne remains more fast than quick at this stage of his career but showed no difficulty in getting off the line of scrimmage against the Titans' defensive backs.

Week 9 - The future Hall of Famer continued his masterstroke of a comeback season at Lucas Oil Stadium, with seven catches for seventy-one yards. Wayne continued to pace the NFL in receiving yards with his Week Nine performance, adding in a dazzling nine-yard touchdown catch in which he caught a pass from Andrew Luck at the ball’s highest point, in the back of the end zone. Wayne might have put six more points on the board, had an end zone pass not get batted away by the Miami defensive line. Luck seems to trust Wayne above his other receivers, looking to him whenever the situation is at its most dire. In his mid thirties, Wayne might be more of a possession receiver than a burner, but he still has “it.” Several times, Luck placed the ball high in the air, or low to the ground – wherever Wayne could catch it – and the veteran came up with a critical reception. His route-running remains crisp as ever, showcased best on a thirteen-yard out route in which Wayne did a bang-up job of getting back to the ball before the Miami secondary could catch up to him. Wayne is a solid bet to finish among the league’s top five in receptions and receiving yards, as long as Luck continues to pepper him with targets.


Week 10 - Reggie Wayne had 1 drop in an otherwise stellar performance against the Jags. Wayne and Luck put on a great display of chemistry and timing. Their completions were in sync, in stride and they frustrated the Jags on third down. Wayne caught balls on curls, slants, crossing patterns and took advantage of holes in the defense with such timing based patterns. Wayne had a terrific diving catch on one play, showing his determination to make every catch that comes his way. He got open consistently against Jacksonsville despite being one of few weapons that the Colts possess and couldn’t be stopped at times. Wayne made a lot of chunk yardage plays with Luck and was always there when his rookie QB needed a conversion. Luck looked Wayne’s way the most of any WR and with good reason. Wayne has no slowed down with his age, has great route running and the Colts understand how to get him the ball often. Wayne was unlucky not to score or even have the chance to score as QB Luck converted both touchdowns while rushing the ball but Wayne’s fantasy value will remain high with all the targets he gets and is a key component in their offensive game plan every week.

Week 11 - Wayne's first reception was a well executed quick screen in the flat that went for seven yards. A second reception came on second and 13 when he caught a curl route for 11 yards over the middle. Luck went straight back to Wayne for the first down on a six yard curl to the outside. Wayne dropped a pass under pressure over the middle that would have went for a first down in hurry up mode. Luck went straight back to Wayne as he caught a four yard pass on a shallow crossing route. Wayne made an outstanding catch over the middle in between two defenders for 20 yards. Wayne converted a third and 13 with a 14 yard reception against two defenders. Wayne dropped a pass late in the game when he was protecting himself from a big hit. The game was over as a contest, so it was a good business decision. He made up for it immediately after with a reception over the middle for a first down.

Week 12 - Like he has done all season, Wayne again dominated another defense, leading the Colts in every category, including a staggering 14 targets. Luck targeted Wayne early (first play of the game) and often (14 targets!) and especially when the offense needed to move the chains. Four times Wayne converted 3rd downs, two of which came on the lone TD drive, including a 3rd and 17. Buffalo had no answer for Wayne when he slipped into the slot, choosing to allow their nickel corner to get burned constantly instead of shadowing him with their best in Gilmore on every play. Wayne’s longest play went for 25 yards just before halftime as he ran an out. The pass was beautifully thrown, but it took a nice catch from Wayne on the end of it to complete the toss. Wayne was able to take the pass in stride and get up field quickly. Wayne tried to run over Byrd as he approached the end zone, but was stood up just before hitting pay dirt. Wayne saw two targets inside the Buffalo 10-yard line, but wasn’t able to get into the end zone on either. It was Wayne who was targeted on Luck’s lone INT as miscommunication between the two lead to the turnover. Wayne hesitated as dragged across the middle; fooling Luck into thinking he was sitting on the route. Wayne continued the drag, however, and the throw was behind Wayne who was only able to get a hand on the pass before the Bills picked it off.

Week 13 - Reggie Wayne was largely taken out of this game and produced very little, which might be surprising considering the volume of yards/touchdowns from Luck. Wayne was rarely targeted as a Lions did a good job being physical with the veteran WR and not allowing any easy completions. Wayne did haul in some short gains on the outside and slants over the middle but rarely got loose down the field. Wayne did have one terrific grab, deep down the field between several defenders as QB Luck dropped a pass perfectly over his shoulder as he took the hit. Wayne had a shot at a touchdown late in the game but it slipped through his fingers and fell incomplete. Luck targeted his #2 and #3 WR’s far more often than Wayne in this game, as the defense paid less attention to them and had an easier time getting open down the field. Luck was looking deep and for the big play as his team was behind for most of this game and some of INDY’s younger WR’s possess more speed, which Luck tried to take advantage of.

Week 14 - Wayne continues to be a steady presence and reliable performer for the Colts passing offense. Wayne finished the day with 64 receiving yards, pushing him past 1200 yards for the sixth time in his career. He also had two of the more important catches on the day for the Colts. The first came on a short touchdown catch to tie the game at seven. Wayne's touchdown came with a minute to go in the first quarter. On the play, quarterback Andrew Luck faked play action before delivering a strike to Wayne in the back center of the endzone. His second big catch came in the third quarter as Andrew Luck was flushed from the pocket to the right side. Luck lofted the ball up to the right sideline. At the last possible moment, Wayne came streaking from the middle of the field and brought the ball down in front of two Tennessee defenders for a first down. Wayne has primarily been operating from the right side of the field running hitches, go routes, and curls. He is showing the same excellent route-running and steady hands that made him a favorite target of Peyton Manning for years.

Week 15 - Wayne had a relatively quiet day as the Texans worked hard to defend him by rolling a safety over in coverage whenever he got more than a few yards off the line of scrimmage. Combined with a devastating pass rush, Wayne simply did not have much time to get in to his routes before Andrew Luck had to get rid of the ball. He was only targeted once downfield as his rookie quarterback struggled for time in the pocket. Wayne's best catch came on a reception that was nullified by offsetting penalties. On the play, Andrew Luck sold play action and threw a high pass to the back of the endzone. Wayne, running an in-pattern from the right side, managed to get behind two defenders, lept in the air for the reception, and drug his toes just inside the endzone before going out of bounds. Unfortunately the touchdown was called back.

Week 16 - Wayne's first reception was a curl route that went for a first down on second and four. Wayne dropped a deep pass down the right sideline when he was wide open. There was no defender near him, but he did have to leave his feet to make the catch. Still, you would expect him to make that catch 99 times out of 100. Wayne caught a deep crossing route against man coverage to open the second half. Wayne was having a quiet game, as his next reception was a bubble screen in the fourth quarter that went for 15 yards. A few plays later Wayne adjusted well to a backshoulder curl route with a defender on him. Wayne's third reception on the drive was a wide open touchdown in the back of the endzone.

Week 17 - Wayne was actually well-covered for most of this game. Luck tried to lean on him in the red zone and in the two-minute drill, but the Texans' defensive backs were up to the task. Wayne did draw a pass interference in the end zone, but for the most part, he wasn't a big factor in the outcome of this game.

Week 18 - Wayne was by far the focal point of the Colts passing game against the Ravens. He was targeted often on key third downs and Andrew Luck made some of his finest throws in Wayne’s direction. The best play came on a deep crossing route where Luck’s throw knifed through 3-4 Baltimore defenders in the middle of the field before finding Wayne on the other end. It showed great anticipation and trust as Wayne hauled in the pass, moving the Colts into the red zone. That being said, six times Wayne was targeted with inaccurate throws from Luck. As soon as Luck and Wayne would show some great chemistry together with a back shoulder timing route or a tight window throw on a deep crossing route, Luck would miss Wayne on a routine play. Twice the Colts ran a route combination with Wayne that will surely be copied by other teams in the coming season. Wayne would stack up directly behind another receiver in the slot and essentially run a slant, mirroring him. The first time, it worked to perfection as the defenders could not cover Wayne from the line of scrimmage and they converted the third down. It would have worked a second time if not for a throw that was high and behind Wayne. While Wayne had over 100 yards and one of his better statistical games of his impressive season in this game, Luck’s inaccuracies prevented a much bigger day for Wayne. The 34-year-old receiver showed little to no signs of slowing down this season and should be a strong fantasy performer, especially in PPR formats, again in 2013.