Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
When it comes time to draft your 2014 fantasy football roster, Reggie Wayne should warrant a lot of attention. The NFL is without a doubt a “What have you done for me recently?” league. Because of this, fantasy participants are quick to jump ship on players who let them down the year before. The three-time All-Pro receiver is a prime example of this.
As a quick recap, Wayne tore his ACL during Week 7 of the 2013 season and missed the remainder of the year. T.Y. Hilton was forced to step in as the Indianapolis Colts‘ go-to receiver, and while he showed promising upside, his inconsistent production showed that he is not a true No. 1 receiver.
Before Wayne’s knee injury last year, he had been an iron man in the NFL, playing 11 straight seasons without missing a single game. Counting last season, the six-time Pro Bowler amassed more than 1,000 yards in eight of the last 10 seasons. In that time, he established himself as one of the more reliable fantasy options at wide receiver. With his knee being healthy as ever, there’s no reason to believe this former Miami Hurricane won’t come storming back.
Andrew Luck is only getting better. Trent Richardson‘s 2.4 yards-per-carry this preseason suggests he’s only getting worse. Their defense is inconsistent. All this points in the direction of Luck airing it out early and often. You better believe that the majority of those targets will be going to Wayne.
Currently, ESPN Fantasy has Wayne ranked as the 28th receiver, meaning he’ll probably get drafted near the top of the sixth round, which would be a steal. Now he’s no Calvin Johnson or A.J. Green, so don’t go drafting him in the first or second round. But in a weak running back draft where most people will want to grab their ground option early, Wayne provides a nice safety valve at receiver who won’t cost you a high draft pick to lock up.
Draft him with confidence and leave the rest up to Luck.
Chris Lehman is a New Orleans Saints Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisBreezy91, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
