RADIO
If there was a breakout division, it might be this one. After being the laughingstock of the league the last couple of years, three of these four teams have had busy offseasons trying to set their club up for success.
The Falcons have three young stars primed to break out, the Panthers loaded up with talent, and the Buccaneers re-signed a Baker Mayfield resurgence. Meanwhile, the Saints have taken “breakout” too literally. After “breaking” the hopes of their fans and already being “out” of the playoffs, they’re in a tough spot.
In this series, I am selecting a breakout player from each NFL team. I have divided the teams by division and will order them according to the level of confidence I have in their breakout this season. Without further ado, here are my NFC South selections!
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Atlanta Falcons Fantasy Football Breakout
Bijan Robinson (RB, ATL)
If there was a breakout team, this would be it. With four top-8 NFL Draft selections, all occupying fantasy-relevant positions, it has seemed that this team is a ticking time bomb. To be honest, this selection could have easily been Kyle Pitts or Drake London. However, if you have followed my work, you know I am expecting massive things from Bijan Robinson this season.
It’s no surprise that Robinson can be an NFL superstar; however, let’s raise the bar for this breakout. I was recently quoted saying that Robinson can redefine the dynasty RB landscape this year. So, of course, I’m going to double down. I would be shocked if Robinson finishes outside of the top-2 fantasy RBs in 2024.
I understand that is steep, so maybe shocked isn’t the right word, but that’s how confident I am for this season. The team now has Raheem Morris taking over as head coach, who stems from the Rams' coaching tree. The coaches from that tree are notorious for impactful fantasy RBs and utilize primarily one back. Mix this with the quotes from camp saying he will get Christian McCaffrey usage, and it’s all systems go for the second-year RB.
I could watch Bijan Robinson highlights for hours 🕹️
🎥: @Ihartitz pic.twitter.com/hqn9wvQ0cF https://t.co/orjRG4NTeB
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) June 12, 2024
Carolina Panthers Fantasy Football Breakout
Chuba Hubbard (RB, CAR)
The Sherwood Park, Alberta product has flashed elite athleticism and explosiveness so far in his NFL career. Coming out of Oklahoma State, Hubbard’s former track experience made him an electric back with game-breaking speed.
To end last season, Hubbard had four of his final six games with 20+ rushing attempts and 80+ rushing yards. He has surpassed last season’s free-agent acquisition, Miles Sanders.
The big elephant in the room is Jonathon Brooks. I liked Brooks as a prospect and think he will become one of the few workhorse RBs in the future. However, reports are that his ACL recovery is going slower than expected. With no incentive to hurry him back, Hubbard could be the lead back for the first few weeks. That sets the table for the impending free agent to show the league what he can do and potentially receive limited touches once Brooks is fully healthy.
.@Hubbard_RMN repping his home country with the FULL Canadian fit 🇨🇦
📺: #GBvsCAR -- 1pm ET on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/UIg1XAjsX3 pic.twitter.com/BtVIHUw7zi— NFL (@NFL) December 24, 2023
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Fantasy Football Breakout
Cade Otton (TE, TB)
Ever since Tom Brady started to find Otton toward the end of his last season, the TE has remained on the fringe of fantasy relevance. Last year, he had nine of his 16 games with four or more targets. It’s not elite, but if that can continue to grow, he could find himself as a high-end TE2 for fantasy.
This team is locked in with both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin for this season; however, the depth chart is bare after that. There is excitement for rookie Jalen McMillan, but if one of Evans or Godwin misses time, Otton could be the biggest benefactor.
Cade Otton making some stellar catches tonight 👏
📺: #PHIvsTB on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/atjBkqeFoX pic.twitter.com/ZdcLTF4NzE— ✨ NFL Highlights Today ✨ (@TheeargirlCA) January 16, 2024
New Orleans Saints Fantasy Football Breakout
A.T. Perry (WR, NO)
If you have followed my writing this offseason, you’ve seen the Saints catch a lot of heat. It’s no surprise that I think this team is the definition of lackluster and could be relegated to the XFL in a year. However, I think Perry has some intrigue.
All jokes aside, there will be 11 players wearing Saints jerseys every week. As a result, the ball has to go somewhere. With Juwan Johnson recovering from an injury, it’s Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed in the WR room. With no Johnson and the departure of Michael Thomas, Perry is the only big-bodied target. Last year, we saw him flash his physical prowess with three touchdowns in his last three games.
This offense won’t be potent enough for this to provide weekly value, but if Shaheed is primarily in the slot and Perry can be the option opposite of Olave, he might be worth keeping an eye on for the future.
“Spencer Rattler to A.T. Perry. This was Rattler's last pass in the session and he made an extremely tight throw that saw Perry go up to get it in the back of the end zone working against Rezjohn Wright. The Saints defense was in disbelief, and my notes simply said holy… https://t.co/i9O8vFxmuZ
— 32BeatWriters (@32BeatWriters) June 13, 2024
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