We’re about a third of the way through the fantasy regular season, here’s what I’ve learned so far in the NFC South.
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NFC South
New Orleans Saints
Tyler Shough is off to a solid start. He has 12 TDs through six games. It’s especially impressive given that injuries have been a factor for him (broken bones in his non-throwing hand) and his teammates, rookie WR Jordyn Tyson and free agent RB Travis Etienne. Shough has been a nice value at QB for drafters who waited on the position. On the flip side, Etienne has been a disappointment so far. His lackluster results hurt drafters even before he was injured. Etienne was typically going in the 3rd / 4th rounds on average. One of the things that hurt Etienne was the return of Alvin Kamara. Kamara cut into Etienne’s volume more than many drafters figured, so even when Etienne returns it’s hard to feel confident about his fantasy outlook improving. Tyson’s hamstring injury has been confounding for yours truly. I read several reports in the offseason mentioning that he should be fine when training camp started. Tyson’s hamstring setback hurt several of my drafts where I had him pegged as a breakout star. Many scouts had Tyson ranked as the most talented WR coming out of last April’s draft. It was only his injury history that had some of them concerned. Those concerns have, at least so far, been warranted. Tyson’s absence has been a boon for Chris Olave and Juwan Johnson owners. Both have gobbled up plenty of catches and receiving yards. Olave is the 4th ranked WR while Johnson is the 7th ranked TE in Half-Point PPR. Johnson has been a great sleeper for those who waited on TE in their drafts.
Carolina Panthers
Coming into 2026, I was hesitant about the Panthers’ offense. I had to see it before I could fully buy in. I’m starting to see it. Bryce Young is off to a great start, although two of the games were against the Bears and the Lions, not exactly the Steel Curtain of yesteryear. That said, Young has been a nice value for drafters who waited at QB. Part of the reason has been the Panthers’ terrible defense. I didn’t see that coming. Carolina invested heavily in their defense in the offseason. Despite that, the Bears put up a 59-burger on them in Week 1. That’s led to plenty of shootouts and garbage time points for Young and his teammates. RB Jonathan Brooks was hyped up to the point that he became a fade for me. I like his talent, but I heard they wanted to ease him back from his devastating knee injury. Unfortunately, Brooks had a minor setback and Chuba Hubbard has once again taken advantage. Hubbard is the Rodney Dangerfield of fantasy football. He gets no respect, but has consistently performed well when given the chance. WR Tetairoa McMillan went nuts in Week 4. Granted, it was against the Lions, but he’s developing into a fantasy star before our eyes. TE Darren Waller has been relatively quiet so far. However, he has always been a matchup nightmare. The main concern with him has been his durability. That said, he’s still very talented. It wouldn’t surprise me if he has some big games this season.
Atlanta Falcons
What a difference one man makes at QB! Gladys Knight and the Pips sang about the Midnight Train to Georgia, but the Falcons’ offense was a train wreck early on. Cooper Rush struggled mightily and most of the offense suffered with him. That explains why they just signed “The Red Rifle”, veteran signal caller, Andy Dalton. Fortunately for Atlanta, Michael Penix’s return has got the offense back on track. They’ve had two massive road wins in prime time. One of which was against Stiles’ beloved Packers. The news wasn’t all good for Falcons’ fans though. Penix took a shot to the ribs in the Ravens game, where he was grimacing in pain. This could be a factor for him the rest of the season. Atlanta’s nickname might be the Falcons, but I’m going to start calling them the Atlanta Robinson’s because if your name is Robinson you’re scoring a bunch of TDs and fantasy points. Both Bijan and Brian have been lighting up the scoreboard lately. Bijan reminds me of those video games when your player is maxed out and clearly the best player on the screen. He’s fun to watch and I’m regretting passing on him for Christian McCaffrey, even though McCaffrey outscored him in PPR last season. Penix’s triumphant return has seen Drake London’s return to fantasy glory. He’s had 290 receiving yards combined in Week’s 3 and 4. If anyone can figure out what the Falcons’ plan is for Kyle Pitts than you’re smarter than me. Only the Falcons can draft a guy in the Top 5 picks, not use him, and then sign him to a multi-year deal only to bench him in Week 4. It’s maddening to watch this soap opera unfold about Pitts, who has all the talent in the world. Of course, the last two weeks after I ranked him low, Pitts scored 3 TDs! I swear they do this just to tick me off… ugh! The silver lining is, at least they’re using him, the million-dollar question is, “for how long?”.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa struggled early and their luck got worse with the loss of Baker Mayfield. Baker signed his lucrative contract just in time, much to the chagrin of the Buccaneers’ brass, haha! Without Baker, the Bucs turned to undrafted rookie QB Jalon Daniels. And like I feared, the offense has suffered. Outside of one monster game against Dallas, Bucky Irving hasn’t done much. His 4th Round draft cost has been a disappointment so far for drafters who took the plunge. At WR, Emeka Egbuka was really hyped up in the preseason by many analysts. I like him, but the hype got out of control, to the point where he became a fade for me. Egbuka struggled at times last season and his lack of speed had me concerned that he could be a difference maker worthy of an early round pick. So far, he hasn’t been the star many drafters expected. Baker’s injury has been one of the reasons, but he didn’t do much even when Baker was healthy. One WR who I was high on as a longshot sleeper, rookie Ted Hurst, is getting his chance. I figured it was only a matter of time before one of the Bucs starting WRs went down with an injury. Surely enough Jalen McMillan got injured. Unfortunately, without Baker, Hurst’s fantasy prospects have taken a major hit. When Baker comes back, keep an eye on Hurst. He’s already shown flashes of big play ability and his future is bright. I think he’s the best WR in Tampa, even over Egbuka. Kicker Chase McLaughlin is doing his part to help the Bucs and fantasy owners. He’s currently the 3rd highest scoring kicker in 2026.
-Mark Ringo
Join Matt @Stiles08, Derek @Derek_Favret, Jeff @Jefferson__21, Dave @crewser128, Ben @hashtagwasley, Mack, Sky @SkyGuasco, and me, Mark @MarkRingo12, on our weekly YouTube shows and the Razzball Fantasy Podcast as we answer your questions thus keeping you informed for the 2026 season. Come for the analysis and stay for the laughs!
