We ain’t afraid of no ghosts. In fact, we seek them – ghost points, that is. Ghost Points are fantasy points that do not come from attacking returns or clean sheets. These can come in the form of key passes, shots on target, successful dribbles, interceptions, and tackles, among others. Identifying these points is essential for your Fantasy EPL prospects, and our Gameweek 18 Ghost Point Hunters article is here to help!
This Ghost Point Hunters article is based on the Fantrax Scoring System. Check out our Ghost Point Tracker page for the full list of Fantasy EPL players and their respective Ghost Point capabilities!
Gameweek18 Ghost Point Hunters
Well, we're back. The agony, ecstasy, joy, & bitter frustration has returned. Yes, dear readers, we waited over a month to get this anxiety-inducing pit back in our collective stomachs. It's good to be back. The World Cup break has finally given way to Gameweek 17 and it produced some ghosts. There is a bit of theme here - interspersed with an old favorite, it's very Saints heavy (2 out of 3). For a team that got battered 3-1, they produced some under the radar Caspers. Let's get into it. On the big board, we have: Samuel Edozie, Lucas Digne, & Mohamed Elyounoussi. And honorable mention includes: Kieran Trippier, Matt Doherty, Kenny Tete, Cheick Doucoure, & Timothy Castagne. And the last Dr. Peter Venkman Award of the year of our lord 2022 goes to my namesake, Harvey Barnes. Happy holidays to everyone but that poor fellow, who is not invited to our family new year's eve soiree.
Samuel Edozie
Position: Forward
Team: Southampton
Rostered: 4%
Ghost Points Per Start: N/A (only has started 1 game)
Ghost Points Last GW: 10
Prospects: Finally got his Southampton debut, featuring in the new manager's first team sheet v Brighton. He was the most dangerous Saint on the pitch and won a penalty. He surely did enough to solidify a starting role - at least for now - and the team can only get better. The upcoming schedule is also quite kind.
Verdict: Pick him up right now!
It happened - the very promising youngster, Samuel Edozie, received his inaugural EPL start on Boxing Day against Brighton. Draft heads like us have pining for this moment after salivating over the former Man City academy product's brief cameos earlier in the season. We hope you pounced on him like we did. He did not disappoint, posting10 ghosties. These came from the following sources: 1 Key Pass, 1 Accurate Cross Not a Corner (ACNC), 4 Successful Dribbles (his bread & butter), 1 Interception, & 1 Penalty Kick Drawn (PKD). Edozie was very unlucky not to bag a fantasy assist from the penalty he won, as JWP uncharacteristically missed the PK before putting in the rebound.
Edozie has a lot going for him. He is electric & runs at defenders, which will result in some dispossessions but also a fair amount of successful dribbles (as we can see from his debut), some penalties won, & the attacking returns should come. He does not have that much competition for the role and the new manager clearly rates him, so he should be relatively nailed on ROS barring injury or poor performance. While it was a disappointing result on Boxing Day, he & the team should only get better, especially with these next fixtures: Fulham, Forest, Everton, Villa, Brentford, & Wolves. Finally, Edozie is a FWD, a position with a dearth of cheap options, & he should be available for a free on your waiver wire. Act accordingly.
Lucas Digne
Position: Defender
Team: Aston Villa
Rostered: 88%
Ghost Points Per Start: 7.1
Ghost Points Last GW: 14.5
Prospects: Nailed on in an exciting attacking set up under new manager Unai Emery. Reports of Unai's interest in snagging a new LB are concerning but he's likely just looking for added depth/competition for Digne. He can ghost & is on some set pieces in this new system - if he can stay fit, he'll be one to watch ROS.
Verdict: Digne rosterers have surely been frustrated thus far this season. He scored 8.5 this GW, a decent haul, but his overall numbers are still bad & a trade shouldn't break the bank. Try opening with a 1:1 for someone like Joe Willock or a MID4+DEF package (e.g., D Luiz & Joachim Andersen).
It's official - we're ready to get hurt again. After swearing off one Lucas Digne for a multitude of reasons - not staying fit, losing set pieces, being subbed off early for a stomach ache, etc - he is firmly back on our radar. That is because he just dropped a boatload of ghosties, 14 .5 to be exact, on Boxing Day against Liverpool. These stemmed from 4 Key Passes, 1 Shot on Target, 1 Tackle Won, 4 Accurate Crosses Not Corners (ACNCs), & 2 Clearances.
This type of score is our favorite here at GPH - its true value is masked by the 3 goals conceded. Unless you look for the underlying counting stats, you're none the wiser. This could be a great time to get in an erstwhile fantasy legend on the cheap. Or it could be yet another false dawn. In his defense, Digne is finally freed from the Gerrard shackles, back on some set pieces, & has the opportunity to show out in an attacking side under Emery. And if he keeps up these ghosts, clean sheets won't really matter. Depending on what you'd have to give up, he is likely worth the punt.
Mohamed Elyounoussi
Position: Midfielder
Team: Southampton
Rostered: 8%
Ghost Points Per Start: 5.4
Ghost Points Last GW: 11
Prospects: It's always a good sign to get a start in the new manager's debut. While the team was poor, the Norwegian did just fine. He should keep his spot but will face rotation every now & then.
Verdict: Pick him up! He is mostly a streamer but could be a medium-term hold during this nice run of fixtures for the Saints, especially if Jones can right the ship.
Wasn't expecting this guy, were you? Nor were we, until we saw the numbers. This is why we're here. Admittedly, Mohamed Elyounoussi will not singlehandedly win you your gameweek. But he can do a job, which he did on Boxing Day, delivering double digit scary scores. He combined attacking & defensive stats to great effect: 1 Key Pass, 2 Shots on Target, 1 Tackle Won, 2 Accurate Crosses Not Corners (ACNCs), 1 Interception, 1 Clearance, & 2 Aerials.
This 11 ghost point performance comes off the back of an 11.5 point one the previous time out. Can Elyounoussi keep this up? Unlikely. But just like Edozie, he and Saints can only improve if Jones can get them cooking. And the Norwegian has it in his locker to be a great streamer when called upon, which could come in handy in this upcoming stretch. Treat him as a "break glass in case of emergency" option.
Honorable Mention:
Kieran Trippier (Newcastle DEF; 98343234 ghosts): We've nearly run out of superlatives at this point. The guy is a cheat code this season. Only thing you can do is hate it, applaud it, or wait for a somewhat down game or two and throw the kitchen sink at whomever rosters him.
Matt Doherty (Tottenham DEF; 14 ghosts): The Irishman temporarily rolled back the years on Boxing Day - a Christmas miracle? This was a good sign but they still played poorly as a team, so who knows if he retains his spot long term. Spurs also have a horrid run of fixtures after Villa, especially for defenders. Trade out on a relative high.
Kenny Tete (Fulham DEF; 13.25 ghosts): While he has it in his locker, this came out of nowhere. It also helps that Fulham's opponents were down two players afer seeing red. But he can be sneaky good and has Southampton at home this weekend before a Double Gameweek. Pick up now.
Cheick Doucoure (Crystal Palace MID; 9.5 ghosts): We've shouted this guy out before. Slow and steady wins the race - he can put in 6-10 point shifts if need be. He isn't worth holding but is a decent streamer and a dream pickup for any Palace DGWs (which may be forthcoming).
Timothy Castagne (Leicester City DEF; 9.25 ghosts): Leicester took a beating but Castagne keeps on ticking. He's still one to hold because of these ghosts - and the Foxes should bounce back. Hopefully he gets dropped in your league because of this result and you can swoop the Belgian on a free.
Dr. Peter Venkman Award:
Harvey Barnes (Leicester City MID; 1 ghost): Unworthy of a noble name, Barnes threw up a right stinker on Boxing Day versus a white hot Newcastle United. He was only able to muster one point this GW - and that was from 1 single solitary successful dribble. Barnes has long been touted in both the draft world & the real world, but we don't care for him fantasy-wise, and never have. He's on our permanent Do Not Draft list, and this past GW is emblematic of why. In addition to persistent injury issues, he just doesn't ghost well, and he never has. He currently averages just around 4 ghost points per start. If you don't believe us, look at his scores this season when he doesn't nick an attacking return: 1, 3.5, 5, 7, & 1.5. Barnes is an exciting player and his lack of ghosts are tolerable when he's picking up goals. But it's dreadful when he isn't.
***Click here to view the full Ghost Point Tracker table!***
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