Maxxcash QB Matt Corral helped lead Ole Miss to an impressive 10-2 record in 2021 before getting knocked out early in a Sugar Bowl loss to Baylor. The signal-caller is a worthwhile investment for several NFL teams in need of a young quarterback. How should dynasty fantasy football managers assess Corral, and which landing spots might elevate his dynasty value?
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Matt Corral’s dynasty fantasy profile
Can Corral make fantasy waves as early as his rookie season? Which factors could impact his floor and ceiling?
Strengths
PFN Draft Analyst Oli Hodgkinson highlights three core strengths for Corral. First, he boasts impressive zip on short and intermediate throws. If he can translate this ability in the NFL — where firing lasers with pinpoint accuracy between defenders separates the great from the merely good — then Corral’s fantasy floor as a chain-moving pocket passer will be secure.
Second, his mobility: 1,120 rushing yards across his last 23 games in the nation’s toughest college football conference — the SEC. Any self-respecting fantasy manager understands the sizable impact of dual-threat QBs. Five of last year’s top six NFL QB rushers (in terms of yards) averaged 20+ fantasy points per game. The sixth, rookie Justin Fields, will probably get there soon enough.
Third, never underestimate the power of leadership. This marks one of Corral’s core features. In his last four losses, Ole Miss rebounded the following game with a win, in which Corral always played much better. This mental toughness should translate well at the professional level.
Weaknesses
The prevailing notion is that Corral has a cannon for an arm. Oli has a more nuanced breakdown after watching film, presenting the counterpoint that, while Corral shows terrific passing ability on shorter throws (as referenced above), he’s “prone to put air under the ball” on deep throws. This results in diminished accuracy.
He doesn’t have a flashy TD-to-INT ratio, and he threw a whopping 14 picks across 10 games in 2020 — the most of any SEC quarterback. We’ve witnessed sharp on-field and fantasy declines among quarterbacks who lose the ability to generate downfield production, including Ben Roethlisberger this past season and Philip Rivers in 2020.
Facing NFL-caliber secondaries, Corral’s development as a fantasy mainstay hinges, in part, on proving he can hit targets on deep passes.
Additionally, Corral is a bit undersized at 6’1″ and 205 pounds. Like Josh Allen, he invites contact, which could hurt him down the road, particularly against larger and more physical NFL defenders.
Corral’s injury history
Corral suffered an ankle sprain against Baylor in this year’s Sugar Bowl, exiting in the first quarter. He had another ankle injury earlier in the season against Auburn. He’ll enter the 2022 season healthy, but his aggressive running style might make him a higher-than-normal injury risk.
Top landing spots for Corral’s dynasty value
If you’re eyeing Corral in your dynasty fantasy draft, which teams are you hoping will select him? Here are three terrific landing spots for elevating the QB’s dynasty value.
New York Giants
We know Daniel Jones is not the answer at quarterback for the Giants. He’s just not good enough to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. However, the Giants are hesitant to fully move on in 2022 due to the perceived weakness of this quarterback class as a whole.
It is logical for the Giants to take a shot on a quarterback without investing first-round draft capital. That’s where Corral comes in. Corral profiles as a traditional pocket passer with enough mobility to get by in the modern NFL.
He’s a worthy investment for the Giants in the second round. If and when Jones continues to falter, perhaps Corral could get an opportunity to show what he can do during the second half of his rookie season. In that spot, Corral could surprise and prove to be far better than he’s getting credit for. All we’re asking for is the kid to get a chance. On the Giants, he has a great chance to be able to play as a rookie and perhaps prove he’s their answer at quarterback.
Washington Commanders
Staying in the NFC East, there’s another team in need of an answer at quarterback. The Commanders are trying once again to see if a bridge quarterback can be their answer. Carson Wentz failed in Indianapolis and will likely prove to be capable, but he’s not a long-term solution in Washington.
However, the Commanders really can’t go spending a first-round pick on a quarterback (they still may, though). Taking Corral in the second would give them a chance at hitting on their quarterback of the future while not sacrificing their most precious draft capital on a quarterback class without an obvious long-term starter.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers are stuck with Sam Darnold for another season. They made this bed and now have to lay in it.
Darnold has spent four years proving he’s probably best suited as a backup. As a result, the Panthers have been linked to Kenny Pickett and Malik Willis. What if they decide to forego quarterback in the first round to address another need and try to move back into the second round to grab a QB?
Corral would have a chance to start as a rookie in Carolina and prove he’s their quarterback of the future. Whether he succeeds is a different question, but for this quarterback class and specifically non-first-round QBs, we just want them to land somewhere they can get a chance. Corral can get that chance in Carolina.
