Fantasy Spin: Eberle flying under the radar

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 / 2:19 AM

By Pete Jensen - NHL.com Staff Writer / Fantasy Spin Blog

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Fantasy Spin Blog
Fantasy Spin: Eberle flying under the radar

When fantasy owners think of recent first-round picks of the Edmonton Oilers taking the fantasy world by storm, they usually have Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (drafted 1st overall in 2011) and Taylor Hall (1st in 2010) in mind.

But with all due respect to those dazzling young point-producers, there is an often forgotten member of the Oilers' fantasy crop of forwards -- Jordan Eberle. The former 22nd overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft churned out his seventh multi-point outing in 21 games this season on Tuesday, and is in the midst of a scorching stretch that has elevated his value to new heights.

Jordan Eberle
Jordan Eberle
Right Wing - EDM
GOALS: 7 | ASST: 14 | PTS: 21
SOG: 44 | +/-: 1
Coming off a 18-goal, 25-assist rookie campaign, Eberle (7 G, 14 A, plus-1, 6 PPP, 6 PIM, 44 SOG, 15 hits) is on pace to shatter those numbers as surprising Oilers have seemingly put their stretch of last-place finishes to rest. Nugent-Hopkins (8 G, 14 A, plus-3, 11 PPP, 6 PIM, 44 SOG, 11 hits) and Hall (6 G, 10 A, even rating, 8 PPP, 12 PIM, 57 SOG, 20 hits) had a pair of assists apiece on Tuesday and are both machines on the man advantage. But Eberle is up to speed with his peers in nearly every category, including power-play points, proving he is just as likely to continue his breakout season.

His three-point (2 G, 1 A) performance Tuesday night -- despite a difficult road environment in Nashville -- truly showcased his creativity with the puck and also his knack for finding his teammates in stride. Eberle has compiled four goals and six assists in his last five games, but is still only owned in 60 percent of Yahoo! Leagues. This 21-year-old's caliber of production should no longer be undervalued, as it mirrors his frequent linemates, Hall and RNH.

All three of these fantasy assets are bound to have their ups and downs as the season wears on, but their frequent outbursts of high-flying point production have made it crystal clear that they are on the fast track to stardom in this League.

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