ATR72 FLC WERE GIVEN ANOTHER ACFT'S HDG WHILE VFR ON A HIGH DOWNWIND LEG FOR ATL RESULTING IN A POTENTIAL CONFLICT.

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FLT FROM AVL TO ATL (VFR DAY). WE WERE WITH ATL APCH ON OUR DOWNWIND LEG FOR LNDG ON RWY 8L AT ATL. THE PREVIOUS CTLR TOLD US TO DSND TO 5000 FT AND CONTACT THE NEXT CTLR. WE COMPLIED AND WE CONTACTED ATL FINAL APCH. WHEN WE CHKED IN WITH THE FINAL CTLR WE TOLD THE CTLR WE WERE DSNDING TO 5000 FT AND ON OUR ASSIGNED HDG OF 270 DEGS. ABOUT 40 SECONDS LATER; THE CTLR TOLD US TO LOOK FOR TFC AT 1 O'CLOCK POS AND WE COMPLIED. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER; THE CTLR TOLD US TO TURN L TO A HDG OF 180 DEGS AND WE COMPLIED. ABOUT 50 SECONDS LATER; WE HEARD FROM THE CTLR CALL 'TURN L TO A HDG OF 120 DEGS; INTERCEPT THE LOC FOR RWY 8L.' WE COMPLIED. ONCE WE COMPLETED THE TURN TO A HDG OF 120 DEGS; WE NOTICED ON TCASII TFC AT OUR 11 O'CLOCK POS AND ABOUT 1 MI; SAME ALT. AT THIS TIME WE TRIED TO NOTIFY ATC. THE CTLR SEEMED TO BE OVERLOADED WITH ACFT. WE STARTED A R TURN BACK TO A HDG OF 180 DEGS WHEN THE CTLR TOLD US TO TURN TO A HDG OF '180 DEGS; TFC AT YOUR 11 O'CLOCK POS;' AND THE CTLR TOLD US WE COMPLIED WITH INSTRUCTIONS OF ACFT Y. WE COMPLIED WITH INSTRUCTIONS FOR 'OUR FLT' AND READ BACK ALL INSTRUCTIONS TO THE CTLR. WE NEVER COMPLIED WITH ANY INSTRUCTIONS FOR ACFT Y. THE CTLR WAS OVERLOADED AND THE CTLR WAS LOOKING ON HIS RADAR SCREEN AND GAVE 'OUR FLT' ACFT Y'S HDG INSTRUCTIONS. ONCE THE CTLR TURNED US 180 DEG HDG; WE TOLD THE CTLR WE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT AND CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 8L AT ATL. THE FLT LANDED WITHOUT ANY OTHER INCIDENT.