Nikolaj Ehlers Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

Nikolaj Ehlers may not be on the top line or top power play, but tonight he could fly under the radar. Earlier this season, the Electric Ehl recorded a hat trick in the Jets' wild 6-5 win in Winnipeg. Due to Ehlers' recent scoring slump, his price has dropped significantly and at mid-tier pricing across the industry, Ehlers is viable in all formats in this high-event matchup at the United Center, though he is a preferred target in tournaments. Winnipeg's top-six is firmly in play tonight.

While everybody is talking about Patrik Laine and his goal-scoring surge, his teammate Mark Scheifele is just two goals behind him with 21. While his 23.6 percent shooting percentage is bound to come down, for now we can ride this train. Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Nikolaj Ehlers have made up the Winnipeg Jets top line and they've been on fire with both Scheifele and Wheeler in the top 8 in points right now. Tonight they visit a Los Angeles Kings team that is not the team that we've become accustomed to seeing. They're dead last in the NHL with just 25 points and while their goals against per game are still middle-of-the-pack, Jonathan Quick has struggled with a 3.34 GAA and .892 SV%.

Other than a recent 7-1 drubbing of the Flyers, the first line for the Jets has been seeing a borderline absurd amount of ice time. Mark Scheifele has eclipsed the 25 minute mark in three of his last five games. Blake Wheeler isn't far behind. Both of these two also form an elite number one power play unit, while even-strength linemate Nikolaj Ehlers drops to the second line with the man advantage. They face a reeling Chicago team who will be starting Cam Ward in net. Ward's numbers are abysmal, with a 3.91 GAA and .888 SV%. Play these Jets with confidence tonight.

Mark Scheifele never seems to get the credit he deserves compared to other elite centers. Look at tonight's slate for example. He could see lower ownership than Crosby, MacKinnon, Matthews, or Tavares, but he is second only to MacKinnon on that list. He is on fire lately with five goals in his last four games, including a three assist game in the only one he didn't score in. You can pair him with his even strength linemates Nikolaj Ehler and Blake Wheeler, or go slightly more contrarian by including power play linemates Patrik Laine or Kyle Connor.

Patrik Laine, even with his massive price increase after his five goal eruption, should draw a good bit of attention tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins. One thing to consider with Winnipeg is that any time they get on the power play, they're looking to Laine in the "Ovi spot" which can make stacking the Jets problematic as the full correlation isn't there. Of course, last time out, Laine, Little and Connor were on fire. This looks like a sneaky spot for Nikolaj Ehlers (DraftKings - $4,500 & FanDuel - $5,000) whose price is still far too cheap for his skill set. Ehlers has done most of his damage at home where he has four goals and four assists in 12 games. Given the Penguins' defensive lapses at times, it would not be surprising to see Ehlers' speed take advantage. With Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler as his linemates, Ehler does have big upside, even if he doesn't skate on the Jets' potent top power play unit. Nikolaj makes for an intriguing solo shot in tournaments.

Since November 1st, Blake Wheeler has 13 points in just 7 games, despite scoring just one goal this is the best points per game average over the last three weeks. He's playing with Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers on the Winnipeg Jets top line. The one tough thing is that they are on the road and visiting Calgary which could keep their offence down a bit. David Rittich has been a huge life saver for the Flames this season with Mike Smith turning into complete garbage, so that is a bit of a concern. However, with how hot this line has been they are worth targeting in ownerships at low ownership.

Blake Wheeler isn't scoring at a rate he is used to, with just 3 goals in 16 games, but his 23 points certainly make up for it. A big reason for the lack of goal-scoring could be as simple as his low shooting percentage. He is shooting just 6.8 percent — a near 4 percentage point drop from his career 10.7 percent shooting percentage. His shots per game are down about 0.25 shots per game compared to last season and his career averages, but I expect things to turn around as he gains some confidence back. This top line made up of Wheeler, Nikolaj Ehlers and Mark Scheifele is in a solid spot as the Winnipeg Jets host the Washington Capitals — a team on the tail-end of a back to back and the 22nd ranked possession team with a 48.09 CF%.

Nikolaj Ehlers still seems too cheap for his skill set. Last season, Nikolaj netted 60 points (29G, 31A) in 82 games. His slow start to the season has kept his price in check, but he draws a good matchup against a Colorado team that often gets bailed out by their goaltending. Part of Ehlers' slow start is a 5.9% shooting percentage, far off from his 12.6% and 12.3% in the prior two seasons. With Ehlers skating on the top line with Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler, opportunities should be abundant, and at just $4,800 on FanDuel and $5,200 on DraftKings, Ehlers is a strong option in all formats.

Ehlers is off to a slow start as he has just three points in nine games, a far cry from the 60 points (29 goals, 31 assists) he put up last season while only averaging 16 minutes of ice time. As a result, Ehlers' price has dipped to $4,500 on DraftKings and $4,700 on FanDuel, which is a nice discount from the usual $6,000 price tag we see on Ehlers. Tonight could be the Danish speedster's breakout game in a contest that should be played at a quick pace. Take advantage of the price while it lasts.

If you have some extra salary to work with tonight, consider taking Winnipeg's second line which features Laine, Ehlers, and the newly acquired Paul Stastny. Among the league leaders in shot attempts since acquiring Stastny, this line has found instant chemistry for the streaking Jets. A matchup against a stingy Montreal team may seem risky, but the Canadiens are still without a number of key defensemen and have allowed the second most shot attempts and own the third highest xGA/60 on tonight's slate over their past 15 games. Also featured on the league's fourth ranked power play, Stastny and Laine should have no problems paying off their steep price against a Montreal penalty kill that has dipped to 30th in the NHL this season.