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It's almost time for the annual fantasy football draft. The NFC South is the current home of the defending Super Bowl champions.
With Tom Brady leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers again in 2021, the Bucs remain the favorites in the division. The Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints will both be starting different quarterbacks than they did in 2019, while the Atlanta Falcons will have a new head coach and offensive scheme.
On that note, let us have a look at three potential breakout stars from each team in the NFC South:
# Atlanta Falcons
Rookie tight end Kyle Pitts should be at the top of the fantasy football stat sheet for 2021. Kyle Pitts could accrue more fantasy points than most tight ends and should be as high as most wide receivers. With Calvin Johnson now traded to the Tennessee Titans, Pitts could complement Calvin Johnson well.
With Julio Jones traded to the Tennessee Titans, Calvin Ridley is the obvious no. 1 wide receiver in the Falcons' offense. Ridley should be able to get even better numbers than when he was paired with Jones.
Running back Mike Davis might get passed up on in a lot of fantasy football leagues. But Davis has a lot of potential to be the starting running back for the Atlanta Falcons. He could add another dimension to Matt Ryan's offensive abilities.
# Carolina Panthers
Wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. is a rookie out of LSU and should be a good option as a breakout fantasy football receiver.
For league owners looking for a rookie who could get yardage on deep catches, Marshall is one to draft. He proved in college that he could be a threat downfield. He could be reliable for Sam Darnold, who is starting his first season as the Panthers' quarterback.
Sam Darnold is another potential breakout candidate for the Panthers. Moving to a new team with a new offensive scheme and a brilliant offensive coordinator could be the turning point for Darnold. The Panthers should be able to build Darnold's confidence back with short passes and hand-offs to Christian McCaffrey, allowing the former to be more successful and rack up better fantasy football numbers.
Wide receiver DJ Moore had a career-high 1,193 receiving yards in 2020 but produced only four touchdowns. Moore should be able to thrive in his second season in Joe Brady's offense. If he can build on his touchdown numbers, fantasy football owners should be happy.
# New Orleans Saints
Michael Thomas' 2020 season was thrown off course due to injuries. If he stays healthy this season, he could become a top target, especially if Jameis Winston is the starter.
When Winston was the starting quarterback for the Buccaneers, his fantasy football numbers were impressive. Unfortunately, they were affected by the number of interceptions he threw. If Winston gets the starting job in New Orleans, he could have a breakout season. With receivers like Michael Thomas and Tre'Quan Smith, he shouldn't have a problem getting the ball down the field.
Meanwhile, with Michael Thomas, Tre'Quan Smith could benefit from Jameis Winston's ability to throw the ball downfield. With Emmanuel Sanders and Jared Cook both departing the Saints this off-season, both Smith and Thomas have the ability to be the top receiving duo.
# Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Slot receiver Scotty Miller proved to be a reliable asset for the Buccaneers once again in 2020.
If it wasn't for him, the Buccaneers might not have defeated the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game. Miller is a feisty slot receiver who is great on the deep ball and could be a breakout fantasy football star while everyone else is preoccupied drafting the 'big-name' receivers.
Running back Ronald Jones II is one of the more intriguing options in the Bucs' offense. He consistently posts solid numbers, even with the addition of Leonard Fournette, and could do the same again in 2021. Perhaps fantasy football owners may want to draft Jones in the middle to later rounds, even as a flex option.
Perhaps not a breakout star as much as a sleeper pick, but tight end Cam Brate might just be a steal in fantasy football drafts. Brate is a reliable offensive weapon who doesn't tend to get a lot of attention from opposing defenses.
