For a division where the winning team in 2014 incredibly had a losing record, the NFC South has three good teams that could win it in 2015 and another team on the rise. 
Atlanta Falcons
2014: finished regular season 6-10 (3rd in division)
Offence: an outstanding passing offence with boom receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White for quarterback Matt Ryan to connect with. Doubts linger on White due to age and health, however Jones is a bona fide star. The running game rests on rookie Tevin Coleman and second year back Davonta Freeman, who was much vaunted in the Hard Knocks TV show last year, but didn’t deliver to that hype.
Defence: Atlanta conceded the most yards , particularly against the pass where they conceded 240 more yards than the 2nd worst ranked Philadelphia Eagles. Under new head coach Dan Quinn, Seattle’s defensive co-ordinator in their last two Super Bowl runs, pass rushing was addressed in the first round of the draft when linebacker Vic Beasley was taken.
Fantasy player to watch: Jones is a top ten rated fantasy player and will be snapped up in the first round of nearly every fantasy draft.
Key to their success/failure: The combination and health of Ryan and Jones.
Predicted regular season finish: 7-9
Carolina Panthers
2014 : finished regular season 7-8-1 (won division), lost Divisional playoff to the Seattle Seahawks 31-17
Offence: was dealt a cruel blow when number one wider receiver Kelvin Benjamin went down with a season ending knee injury. This leaves the receiving options for Cam Newton a bit bare. Corey Brown becomes his prime target, while Greg Olsen’s importance at tight end is high. Rookie wideout Devin Funchess will also be pushed into a bigger role than was originally planned. Jonathan Stewart was finally healthy in 2014 and rushed for over 800 yards in a two pronged running game with DeAngelo Williams.
Defence: any team that is led by Luke Keuchly, one of the top five defensive players in the league, is sure to be a consistent threat. While the Panther D was considered to have not lived up to expectation last season, it was still a top ten overall defence in terms of yards given up.
Fantasy player to watch: Olsen’s fantasy value increased following the injury to Benjamin. He will now be considered as a TE2 or even to watch on the waiver wire. Will make over 100 receptions for the season and push 10 touchdowns.
Key to their success/failure: the fitness of Newton, especially with the loss of Benjamin. While Derek Anderson did lead the Panthers to a couple of victories in the absence of Newton through injury last year, Carolina would not a repeat of this scenario. They will need a winning record to repeat as division champions this year.
Predicted regular season finish: 9-7
New Orleans Saints
2014: finished regular season 7-9 (2nd in division)
Offence: the Saints offence got off to a rough start in 2014 and never really got back on track. Drew Brees is now 36 and is going into his 15th season. The running game was bolstered through free agency when C.J Spiller was picked up from Buffalo. Spiller will form a good 1-2 punch with the oft injured Mark Ingram, who posted career best numbers last season, and will also provide another pass option for Brees. The receiving corp led by the veteran Marques Colston and Brandin Cooks, who many experts picked to be the NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year before injury restricted him to 10 games. The loss of tight end Jimmy Graham will hit hard, especially in the red zone.
Defence: the second worst defence in the league in 2014, giving up 384 yards per game and 26.5 points per game. The defence was most definitely a focus in the draft with six of the Saints’ nine picks being defensive players, starting with linebacker Stephone Anthony out of Clemson.
Fantasy player to watch: Spiller is a great option with a mid round pick, especially in PPR leagues.
Key to their success/failure: the defence must improve and take the pressure off the offence and its ageing quarteback. Re-establishing their fortress at home is vital following a 3-5 record in New Orleans a year ago.
Predicted regular season finish: 8-8
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2014: finished regular season 2-14 (4th in division)
Offence: while Tampa Bay finished with the worst record in the league last season, the offence was still ranked above both the Raiders and Jaguars. There are some excellent pieces in this offence, the receiving duo of Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans will provide good targets for rookie quaterback, the number one overall pick in this year’s draft, Jameis Winston to connect with. The running game was the Bucs’ Achilles heel on the back of another poor year from running back Doug Martin, whose production took a steep decline following his 1,454 yard rookie season.
Defence: the worst team usually has the worst defence but this was not the case for the Bucs under first year defensive minded head coach Lovie Smith. The Buccaneers D conceded the 8th most points (at 25.6 ppg) and yards (at 369 ypg) in the league. If Smith can build on this in the coming season in addition to an improved offence, the win-loss record could be heading North in Tampa.
Fantasy player to watch: big things are expected from tight end Austin Saferian-Jenkins following a quiet rookie season, now that he can hook up with Winston. Has made some good plays in the preseason, making him one to watch in the late rounds or as a streaming option.
Key to their success/failure: success for the Bucs this season will be seeing small improvements, some solid quarterback play from Winston would be great to see and a return to form from Martin will make a big difference.
Predicted regular season finish: 5-11
Predicted Divisional Standings
1. Carolina Panthers (9-7)
2. New Orleans Saints (8-8)
3. Atlanta Falcons (7-9)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11)
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