I have run into the same thing when going to ATL and MEM. In fact I had to got to MEM twice this past year and both times the cost of the ticket was more than my tickets to Munich and London!

I had a 2 hour meeting in ATL this past year and it was cheaper to goto MCO connecting through ATL than just going to ATL. So I booked a ticket to MCO and had a few meetings, stayed the night and connected the next day in ATL with a 3 hour layover for my meeting. Saved $350 in airfare!