Reggie Wayne

Week Seventeen Analysis: Reggie Wayne has now scored twice in his last three weeks, although his one down game, and it was a really down game, during that span was against this week's opponent the Houston Texans. Two weeks ago, Wayne only managed three catches and 14 yards as the Texans kept him bottled up, but that's really not their M.O. of late. Houston has allowed over 60 yards and a score to a wide receiver six times in the last six weeks.

Week Sixteen Analysis: Reggie Wayne may simultaneously be the best sleeper of the year and the biggest disappointment at the same time. His epic 11-game run of 70 or more yards has been followed up by three straight performances of less than 70, including a miserable three catches for 14 yards in Houston last week. While his yardage totals and receptions have been great, his four touchdowns have been shockingly pedestrian, but not nearly as shocking as the Chiefs defense. Kansas City has held the anemic passing attacks from Cleveland and Oakland to under 220 yards and no touchdown passes in the last two weeks, but had allowed multiple passing scores in six of the previous seven.

Week Fifteen Analysis: It's weird that it's week 15, and Houston and Indy still haven't faced each other. But, last season, in Reggie Wayne's two meetings against the vastly-improved Wade Phillips defense, Wayne came up with twin 106-yard outings with touchdowns in both affairs. That's interesting because the uptick in the Houston defensive rankings coincided with Peyton Manning's injury, but Wayne still prevailed. The Texans are coming off an embarrassing loss to the Pats on Monday night, and a terrible five game stretch during which they've allowed the most WR scores in the league.

Week Fourteen Analysis: In a stunning turn of events, Reggie Wayne did not hit the 70-yard mark for the first time this season in the Colts' victory over Detroit last Sunday. Now that his impressive yardage streak is over, it's much easier to point out the fact that Wayne is not scoring touchdowns. The last of his three touchdowns came five weeks ago. To give you an idea about how long that is, Wayne's teammates Donnie Avery and T.Y. Hilton have scored six times since then. Wayne faces a neutral matchup in the Titans this week. In their first meeting, Wayne grabbed seven catches for 91 yards in Tennessee. In the last two weeks the Titans have allowed three touchdowns to opposing wide receivers, so we're saying there's a chance.

Week Thirteen Analysis: One of the more unbelievable stats that you'll see this season is that Reggie Wayne is the first player in the history of the NFL to start a season with 11 games of 70 or more yards. When you consider every change that has happened in Indy in the last 16 months, it's amazing that he's been that consistent. Wayne has now topped the 1,000-yard mark for the eighth time in the last nine years and is on pace for career highs in targets, receptions and yards. I guess this Andrew Luck kid is pretty good. Both Luck and Wayne will look good again this weekend in Detroit. The Lions have allowed 220 or more passing yards in six of their last seven games.

Week Twelve Analysis: Reggie Wayne is averaging 13 targets per game, which is two more than any other player in the NFL. Last week's 18 targets against the Patriots yielded a somewhat ho-hum seven receptions and 72 yards, but that was his worst fantasy output of the season. When you consider that Wayne was held under 70 yards 11 times last season, but has yet to dip below that mark this year is astonishing. Hosting the Bills this weekend may seem like a cake matchup for Wayne, but Buffalo gives up touchdowns in mysterious ways. For some strange reason, the Bills have only allowed one touchdown to a wide receiver in the last three weeks, with two of those games coming against quality passing teams, New England and Houston. However, they have allowed at least one touchdown pass in every game this season, which means that someone will score through the air this weekend in Indy, and Wayne is always the best bet.

Week Eleven Analysis: With the terrific season he's having, you don't need many reasons to start Reggie Wayne, but I'll humor you. Andrew Luck has thrown 41 passes this season for 20 or more yards, which is the highest total in the NFL. Sixteen of those 20 passes were caught by Reggie Wayne. This week Wayne faces off against a New England squad that has given up 47 passes of 20 yards or more, which is also the most in the league. Need more? The Patriots have allowed seven enemy wide receivers to score a touchdown in just the last five games. Still not satisfied? Wayne has topped 100 yards and scored in two of his last three games against the Pats, and the one in which he did not score was last year when Dan Orlovsky was behind center.

Week Ten Analysis: Last week against the Dolphins, two Colts wide receivers topped 100 yards, but neither of them was named Reggie Wayne. Wayne still had 78 yards and a score. The emergence of Donnie Avery and T.Y. Hilton as serviceable options for Andrew Luck should free up Wayne, though. I expect Wayne to be a force this week at Jacksonville. In the last five weeks, every number one wide receiver has either broken the 100-yard barrier or scored against the Jags.

Week Nine Analysis: Reggie Wayne has yet to have fewer than 71 yards in any game, which is one of the reasons why he leads the league in receiving yards at about 108 per game. The fact that Wayne has not caught a touchdown pass since Week 5 is concerning, but Andrew Luck has thrown just one touchdown pass in the last three weeks. This week against the Dolphins, Luck will pass copiously against one of the league's toughest run defenses. Despite having faced perhaps the easiest set of quarterbacks, Miami has still failed miserably. The Fins have allowed over 180 yards to wide receivers in four of their last five games.

Week Eight Analysis: While Victor Cruz has now matched Reggie Wayne's 81 total targets this season, but Wayne has played one less game and has 40 more yards. There have been three games in which the Titans have not allowed a wide receiver to score this season, but they lost each of those games by margins of 21, 28 and 24 points to teams with above average running games. In each of the other four games a wide receiver has topped 69 yards six times. The Colts do not possess an above average running game, and will likely keep it close. I suspect that Andrew Luck will be throwing early and often to his favorite target, Reggie Wayne.

Week Seven Analysis: A.J. Green ran over Joe Haden last weekend, so why wouldn't the NFL leader in targets, receptions and yards per game do the same? Reggie Wayne has also been targeted 10 or more times in four of five games this year. The Browns entire defensive unit is a mess, and the return of Joe Haden didn't change anything last week. Cleveland has allowed the most passing touchdowns in the league this season (15) and on average they are allowing 17 catches, 213 yards and two touchdowns to opposing wide receivers every week.

Week Six Analysis: Reggie Wayne is blowing away the league as he has the top numbers per game in the NFL in targets (15) Receptions (nine) and yards (with an astonishing 127 yards per game).  When you have four more targets and 20 more yards than any other receiver in the league, it's hard to keep you out of the top five in weekly rankings. But Wayne falls short this week because his matchup against the Revis-less Jets is still a tricky one as he'll draw Antonio Cromartie on every play. In the two games since Revis was injured, Cromartie has shadowed Vernon Davis (2 catches for 28 yards) and Andre Johnson (1 catch for 15).

Week Five Analysis: Reggie Wayne returns from the bye week with 70 or more yards in every game this year. The transition to Andrew Luck from the random vagabonds that the Colts started at quarterback last season has been fantastic for Wayne. Wayne is averaging a crazy 13 targets per game, which is one more than any other player in the NFL. This week's opponent, the Green Bay Packers allowed 18 receptions for 310 yards and two scores to the Saints wide receivers just last week. While Luck certainly isn't at Drew Brees' level yet, the Colts aren't afraid to throw the ball. Indy is averaging over 40 passing attempts per game, the fourth-most in the NFL this season.

Week Three Analysis: Only three receivers in the NFL have more receptions and only Victor Cruz has more targets than Reggie Wayne in this young season. While there are likely significant differences between a seasoned Peyton Manning and a rookie Andrew Luck at quarterback, listen to this. Wayne's first two weeks of this season are his best Week 1 and 2 reception and yardage totals in his career, which includes ten years of opening weeks with Manning. This week he faces Jacksonville, the team that he has the most career receptions and yards against. So, why is Wayne this low? Because the Jaguars are a sneaky good pass defense, and they're the NFL's only team that hasn't allowed a passing touchdown.

Week Two Analysis: Who says that the elderly and the youth of America can't find anything in common? While you probably won't see Clint Eastwood and Russell Brand hanging out anytime soon, Andrew Luck and Reggie Wayne seem to see eye-to-eye. Alright, it's a little harsh calling Wayne elderly, but the twelfth-year receiver looks revived with his rookie quarterback. After Week 1, Wayne is leading the NFL in targets with 18 and receiving yards with 135. The chances aren't great that Wayne stays atop these rankings for another season, but he's got a great chance to remain there through Week 2. The Vikings have been notoriously bad against the pass since the Herschel Walker-era. Minnesota allowed a league-high 22 touchdowns to wide receivers last season, and made Blaine Gabbert and Cecil Shorts look like Montana to Rice.

Week One Analysis: Here are some things that you should know about Reggie Wayne. First, Wayne has caught 75 or more balls in each of the last eight seasons. Second, Wayne is only one year removed from a 111-catch season. Third, Andrew Luck was drafted first overall to throw the ball, not to hand the ball off to the always imposing Donald Brown. And fourth, most don't realize that the Chicago Bears, Wayne's opponent this week, gave up the second most receptions to wide receivers last season. I don't care that there's a rookie under center for the Colts, Wayne is the only fully healthy and experienced wideout option that the Colts have. This means they're going to feed him the ball.

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