Draft Day is rapidly approaching on the NFL offseason calendar. Before Roger Goodell announces the first selection, we’re looking at the needs for the teams from each division from a fantasy football perspective. What does each team need to do to maximize their roster’s fantasy returns? What do we as fantasy managers really wish each team would address this weekend? We’ll try to answer some of those questions here as we preview the wide-open 2023 NFC South, where a key move or two by any team could be enough to make a playoff push.

2023 Pre-Draft Fantasy Needs Series

• AFC North
• NFC North
• AFC East
• NFC East
• AFC South
• NFC South
• AFC West
• NFC West

Note: All 2022 fantasy point totals and rankings are PPR, unless otherwise noted.

2023 NFC South Draft Needs: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tom Brady Era is over. Again. For now. Again.

The Buccaneers went all in to try and win a Super Bowl after luring Brady to the franchise, and it paid off. But after Brady’s retirement following the season, the bill for his services finally came due. Creative bookkeeping and tough decisions were needed to get under the salary cap, and now the team must set about filling roster holes on the cheap. In an eminently winnable 2023 NFC South, the Buccaneers appear to be trying to do a soft reset. For now, the heir apparent to Brady will be the winner of a competition between Kyle Trask and new addition Baker Mayfield. But you can pencil in quarterback among the myriad directions the Buccaneers could turn in this year’s draft.

Buccaneers’ Bottom Line

In addition to possibly bringing in more competition for Mayfield and Trask, the Bucs probably need to bring in competition and depth at both running back and wideout. The Tampa run game was woefully inefficient last season behind Leonard Fournette and Rachaad White. The answer for them was to release Fournette, give the keys to White, and then bring in the equally inefficient Chase Edmonds on a one-year deal. Ke’Shawn Vaughn, at one point considered the future at running back, sits third on the depth chart in the last year of his contract. If the Buccaneers brought in one of the top running back prospects, there’s a chance to be an impactful starter here. Jahmyr Gibbs or Zach Charbonnet could each enhance the talent of this position group and would be valuable in both the short- and long-term in fantasy. Tampa also has plenty of late picks if they want to fully endorse White but still add to the room.

At first glance, the wide receiver group here should be set with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Russell Gage forming one of the best trios in the league. But rumors and speculation around Evans and his advancing age were rampant this offseason. Both Evans and Gage could easily be moved or let go at some point before the 2024 season, so now might be the time to look at bringing in a younger receiver to team with Godwin and new Tampa TE1 Cade Otton. As is, a Buccaneer rookie wideout probably doesn’t move the needle in redraft this season. But if they do take one this weekend, he’ll be well-worth monitoring due to the offensive environment.

EDGE is another position where Tampa could stand to improve. Last season’s 21st-ranked DST needs more pressure on the quarterback and more results for more fantasy points.

Buccaneers’ 2023 Draft Picks

• Round 1, pick 19
• Round 2, pick 19
• Round 3, pick 19
• Round 5, picks 19 & 41
• Round 6, picks 2, 4, & 19
• Round 7, pick 35

2023 NFC South Draft Needs: Carolina Panthers

The Panthers were surprisingly competitive in 2022 even when you account for the overall down year for the NFC South. They traded away franchise icon Christian McCaffrey and cut Week 1 starting quarterback Baker Mayfield, but were able to cobble enough together in the backfield to finish just one game behind the division-winning Buccaneers. The team didn’t waste any time getting to work on improving things for 2023. A surprise trade with the Bears means that Carolina is on the clock for Thursday night’s first pick of round one. The Panthers brought in a multitude of veteran options to fill out a roster expected to be playing with a rookie quarterback.

That multitude of veterans includes Adam Thielen and D.J. Chark at receiver. Andy Dalton will either mentor whichever rookie quarterback is brought in as the future, or start while that rookie develops behind him. Miles Sanders replaces the departed D’Onta Foreman to join Chuba Hubbard at running back. Hayden Hurst will be a dependable if unspectacular tight end target. In all, it should be a solid group with a low-ish ceiling, but a relatively safe floor. Not a bad thing way to insulate a rookie signal caller. But there are still needs on this team.

Panthers’ Bottom Line

Low ceiling/high floor is not always the favorite refrain of fantasy managers. We want points, and points come from production. I don’t expect a ton of year-long, useful production from any of the Panthers’ current crop of skill players, outside of perhaps Sanders. The pass catchers will either be working with a rookie quarterback, or joining Andy Dalton in the activities room for Bingo and tapioca pudding. Leaning on Sanders and the run game could be the Panthers’ best shot at scoring.

But they will be taking a quarterback first overall. The prevailing opinion is that it will be Alabama’s Bryce Young taken by Carolina, height and weight be damned. Young is intelligent and can make all the throws. He played high-level opposition in the SEC in college. While I don’t think he’s a fantasy star with the Panthers in year one, I don’t have any reservations about his personal ability to succeed in the league.

But young quarterbacks aren’t developed in a vacuum. There have been a ton of guys with talent drafted into terrible franchise situations who never really fulfilled their potential. For that not to happen with Young, the Panthers would be well-served to get him a young wide receiver who can grow and develop a high-level connection with him. It would be really fun to see Josh Downs trade Carolina Blue for… Carolina Blue (and silver and black.)

Panthers’ 2023 Draft Picks

• Round 1, pick 1
• Round 2, pick 8
• Round 3, pick 30
• Round 4, picks 12 & 30
• Round 5, pick 11

2023 NFC South Draft Needs: New Orleans Saints

Another 2023 NFC South team, another new starting quarterback. The New Orleans Saints let Andy Dalton walk, and then brought in former Raiders’ starter Derek Carr. Carr represents the best answer at quarterback for the Saints since Drew Brees retired. Once again, in a winnable division and with an upgraded quarterback, the Saints have to be viewed as contenders. But outside of Chris Olave providing some sparks, New Orleans was largely a disappointment in fantasy in 2022. Carr figures to boost Olave’s production. The Saints are hoping that Michael Thomas can perhaps be healthy for more than a handful of games for the first time since 2019. And new backfield addition Jamaal Williams led the league in rushing scores last season.

It figures to be a much better fantasy season in New Orleans than 2022. But where can they help themselves (and fantasy managers) the most this weekend? At first glance, they look pretty set at the skill positions. But if you dig a bit (and it doesn’t have to be very deep,) you’ll see plenty of need on this squad.

Saints’ Bottom Line

The Saints’ fantasy-relevant needs begin and end with the offensive line. The Saints ranked 29th on PFF’s end of season offensive line rankings. Injuries didn’t help with that, but this unit will have to play better for the Saints to be a threat outside the division. Ryan Ramczyk and Trevor Penning are functional at the tackles, but any help would be appreciated on the interior. Someone like Florida’s O’Cyrus Torrence is a player whom the Saints could take either at the end of the first round or with their early second round selection. He would bring a whole new dimension to the Saints’ line.

Olave is a safe fantasy bet. Thomas is not. And third receiver Rashid Shaheed looks like an explosive weapon, but may not be as consistent a producer as we’d prefer in fantasy. If I’m the Saints, I’m looking to add to my wide receiver group, if only to hedge my bets against Thomas and his fragile lower body and ego.

Alvin Kamara‘s legal troubles may mean he misses significant time this season. Williams is a very capable back who perhaps doesn’t get enough credit for his abilities in the pass game as well. In a part-time role, Williams had five receiving scores for Green Bay in 2019. He only saw 16 targets last season as the Lions preferred to throw to D’Andre Swift out of the backfield. But running back is another position where I’d like to see New Orleans add a legitimate weapon.

My only other hope, against all hope, is that we see New Orleans turn the full-time tight end snaps over to Juwan Johnson and abandon the idea that Taysom Hill needs to be locked into a position. Use Hill as the Swiss Army knife, but let Johnson cook. Johnson’s value is capped as long as Hill’s around, but JJ looks poised to be a fantasy contributor at a notoriously fickle fantasy position.

Saints’ 2023 Draft Picks

• Round 1, pick 30
• Round 2, pick 9
• Round 3, pick 8
• Round 4, pick 13
• Round 5, picks 12 & 31
• Round 7, picks 10 & 40

2023 NFC South Draft Needs: Atlanta Falcons

Like the Panthers and Saints, the Falcons finished 7-10 and essentially missed the playoffs by a single game. Unlike the Panthers and Saints (and Buccaneers, for that matter), the Falcons will return a starting quarterback of sorts. Desmond Ridder started the final four games of 2022 for the Falcons and has been named the starter for 2023. The Falcons also brought in Taylor Heinicke at the position. Ridder didn’t shoot the lights out in his quarter-season audition, but he did show improvement and win back-to-back games to end the season. If Ridder is the real deal, that could bode very well for the Falcons. Atlanta lost eight (eight!) games by a single score last season. They were basically the anti-Minnesota Vikings. Turn some of that around, and this remains a team that could challenge for the division.

Alas, there was more fantasy disappointment and consternation than success in Hotlanta. Marcus Mariota scored fantasy points, but failed to produce wins, which led the Falcons to jettison him before the end of the season. Kyle Pitts injured his knee and missed the last third of the year, but was underwhelming prior to the injury. Drake London scored only four touchdowns and didn’t have a 100 yard performance until Week 18. Cordarrelle Patterson played well, but ceded the starting job in the backfield to Tyler Allgeier. and the Falcons’ DST ranked 30th in the league. Stability at the quarterback position and clarity on the depth chart should be helpful for fantasy managers this season.

Falcons’ Bottom Line

I don’t see the Falcons drafting a fantasy-relevant quarterback or running back. Pitts has been disappointing thus far in fantasy, but mostly because he was so impossibly hyped coming into the league. He was bound to fall short of those expectations, even without the injury. Not only do I expect him to be fine, but Atlanta also brought in Jonnu Smith. They’re fine at tight end. And they return every member of PFF’s number five ranked offensive line. So where do they help themselves in fantasy?

Well, by focusing on that horrendous defense, for one. But otherwise, I think this team needs to add a second dynamic wide receiver. If they could find an explosive option to trot out with London, Pitts, Allgeier, and Patterson already on the field, this could be a FUN offense to watch in 2023. The defenses in their division aren’t juggernauts. Not being able to commit double coverage to either London or Pitts would severely limit a defense’s options for stopping the Birds. London and Ridder were just starting to develop a rapport last season. A receiver addition in the draft would actually raise the stock for both London and Pitts, as well as Ridder, in my opinion.

Falcons’ 2023 Draft Picks

• Round 1, pick 8
• Round 2, pick 13
• Round 3, pick 12
• Round 4, picks 8 & 11
• Round 7, picks 7 & 8

It’s Always Fantasy Season

There is no offseason in fantasy! Draft previews, free agency analysis, and Dynasty strategy are just some of what you’ll find when you check Belly Up Fantasy Sports for more fantasy football analysis and entertaining insight. With the MLB season in full-swing, there’s a ton of fantasy baseball content, too. As always, more great NFL coverage is available on the main Belly Up site, as well as fun, informative content on the Belly Up Podcast Network. Got something to say? Leave a comment below, follow me on Twitter @SttChaseFFB, and catch me on the Belly Up Fantasy Live podcast each week.