The NFC South has been more similar to the “Wild West” than it has the “Deep South” this year. The Falcons are 1-4. Calvin Ridley is outscoring Julio Jones in Fantasy. Jameis Winston is being challenged for the starting job by Ryan Fitzpatrick… It’s a weird little division.

That’s why I’m here to bring you a breakdown of the biggest names in the NFC South and let you know how I think these guys will fare in Week 6.

*The Saints are on a BYE this week.

What to watch for

Is this Julio Jones’s week? With the Bucs on the horizon, I would say yes. Julio put up 307 yards and 2 touchdowns in the two games against the Bucs last year. Looking closer at the numbers, he had 12 receptions for 253 yards and 2 TDs at home; and this week they play at home. Will you see the same production this year? Probably not; the unplanned sequel of a movie is normally a sad situation. But this sequel should at least be better than all of his games this season, as the Tampa Bay defense hasn’t played well on the road (or at home for that matter). So expect a shootout in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

 

Fantasy Impact Players

Carolina should have some fantasy nuggets on display this weekend. The Washington Redskins face the run-pass option of Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey on a short week, so expect the run game to be in full force. Even though Cam threw for 300 yards and 2 touchdowns the last time these two teams played, I expect it to be a little different this time around since the Redskins showed they weren’t very disciplined at understanding run concepts on Monday against the Saints.

Atlanta vs. Tampa Bay–two very bad defenses playing against some explosive offenses. To say this game will be high scoring is just being Captain Obvious, so just start who you can. The big three for Atlanta, Calvin Ridley, Mohamed Sanu, and Julio Jones should put up some big numbers. But also, expect a lot more from the running game this week. With a hurt defensive front for Tampa, Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman should have some decent output. For Tampa, Mike Evans should have a productive game this week, as he has been a solid play against Atlanta in the past. But look for Cameron Brateto have a good game as well. Jameis Winston[/profiler] is always looking for his team in tough spots during the game.

 

Sleeper Alert:

[profiler]Curtis Samuel showed great balance on his 25 yard TD last week. He played running back at Ohio State, and you can expect him to have an impact on the game this week.

Ronald Jones is expected to start this week and I’m expecting a good output considering that the run defense for the Falcons is like wet tissue paper. But keep an eye on his status throughout the week because it’s not clear if he is the starter or not. Austin Hooper might give you a touchdown this week with so much focus on the big three in Atlanta; expect the tight end to get overlooked like always.

Stay cool, Fantasy friends, and remember, “I am one with the force and the force is with me.”

 

Score Predictions:

Atlanta 45 – Tampa Bay 42

Carolina 24 – Washington 21