ATL is home to at least one major college and a a few large high schools that always seem to have an event when I go through, causing backups and snarls, not to mention some overheated drivers who get to the point that they really just don't care about anyone else on the road.
My recommendation and personal course of action is to ALWAYS go way around ATL.
Standing on the 85 freeway, listening to my cooling fans kick on and off, is not my idea of fun.