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 2 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!
Gameweek 2 Ghost Point Hunters
We're back. After a long, cruel, ghost-free summer, we return to the hunt. The aftermath of GW1 is always a great time to go looking for ghosts, and we found quite a few. But are they real and will they last? This is a critical time to take punts on nascent ghosters and see if you have a long-term gem or two on your hands. This week, we will be taking a deeper look at Ait-Nouri, Tavernier, & Dendoncker. And we have a star-studded honorable mention of Schar, Joelinton (good to have you back, sir), Neto, Welbeck, & Caicedo. Meanwhile, the inaugural Dr. Peter Venkman award for the new 2022/2023 season goes to Ben Chilwell - aren't you glad you returned from that devastating injury?
Rayan Ait-Nouri
Position: Defender
Team: Wolves
Rostered: 94%
Ghost Points Per Start: 12.5
Ghost Points Last GW: 12.5
Prospects: Nailed on LB in a more attacking setup and with a favorable early schedule.
Verdict: Trade in while his notional value is lower than usual (the own goal masked his ghosts). Try a 1:1 deal with a DEF that scored very well in GW1 (e.g., Schar) or package a MID5 (e.g., Billing) & a DEF3/4 (e.g., Davies).
Any GPH fan worth their salt will know that we are longstanding supporters of one Rayan Ait-Nouri. The silky, nonchalant, sometimes frustrating glides across the pitch are sumptuous. And he can ghost. He gets Successful Dribbles from slaloming runs and Key Passes/Accurate Crosses Not Corners from his sumptuous crosses. And he is usually on some corners. His main drawback was a lack of consistent starts. But with the departure of Marcal this summer, the LB spot is RAN's to lose.
For those of you, like us, who were fortunate to get him in the 7th round of the draft, his paltry 3.5 total points against Leeds was disappointing. But this is all a deceptive facade. Ait-Nouri finished with over a dozen scary scores, stemming from 3 Key Passes, 2 Tackles Won, 1 ACNC, & 5 Successful Dribbles. And that was without set pieces. He was unfairly given an Own Goal and Wolves were unlucky to concede two goals (bad goalkeeping & own goal). The new 4 at the back shape made Wolves a lot more lively and fluid in attack. Hopefully this continues and they simultaneously shore things up at the back. And when Raul is back (or if they get another target man), there will be heads in the box to get on the end of Ait-Nouri's crosses. His low score and concerns about Wolves should make him a little cheaper this week. Get him in!
Marcus Tavernier
Position: Midfielder
Team: Bournemouth
Rostered: 4%
Ghost Points Per Start: 14.5
Ghost Points Last GW: 14.5
Prospects: Surprise feature in the Cherries' first starting XI, and he should be a permanent fixture in the lineup. However, he came off with a knock, so that is worth monitoring.
Verdict: I would probably avoid picking him right now given the brutal upcoming schedule unless you have an open slot that you don't mind using up for a few weeks on a bench option.
Who? A cursory google search of Marcus Tavernier would likely yield more hits on his older brother, James, who is a footballer in Scotland. Aston Villa certainly know who he is now after he torched them in a 2-0 win on opening weekend. More importantly for our purposes, he ghosted like a mad man, dropping 3 Key Passes, 1 Tackle Won, 1 ACNC, 6 Successful Dribbles, & 2 Aerials.
An unsung transfer from Middlesbrough, Tavernier was on set pieces and at the center of almost every Bournemouth attack. He is a shining example of why we at GPH bang on every summer about the perils of drafting most assets from promoted teams. Many of the gems are undrafted or immediately dropped and they reveal themselves in the first few GWs. And you can get them for free. Is Tavernier one of these diamonds in the rough? Can he keep this up? He just may. But GPH isn't picking him just yet. We want to see if this ghosting continue and we want to wait until the Cherries' brutal schedule lets up a bit - they have Man City, Arsenal, & Liverpool in the next 3 GWs. Yikes. Keep an eye on this kid and pounce in a few weeks if this isn't an aberration.
Leander Dendoncker
Position: Midfielder
Team: Wolves
Rostered: 2%
Ghost Points Per Start: 16
Ghost Points Last GW: 16
Prospects: A utility midfielder, he is the "break glass if emergency" option for Lage in the middle. Given Moutinho's ongoing injury issues, he will get some looks this season. He's a streamer with upside.
Verdict: If Moutinho returns, he likely gets relegated back to the bench. So he isn't worth FAB. But if you need midfield help, he's worth a punt on a free. And he's an easy drop in an early game this GW if he doesn't start.
In the EPL, anything can happen. Who could've guessed that Leander Dendoncker would be featured in GPH after GW1? This unpredictability is why we do what we do. And the health benefits. The bulky Belgian has been a streamer for years now. Some of us have good memories, some not so much, yet we've all done it. But did any of you have the courage to stream him against Leeds in GW1? Yeah, I thought so. Cowards. My colleague @wrigavin was going to but backed out at the last minute, and it cost him; a lesson to you all.
He was somewhat of a surprise inclusion alongside Neves in the midfield 2. Moutinho had a knock, so Dendoncker got the nod. And he didn't disappoint fantasy-wise. He was all over the place, picking up both attacking and defensive stats: 1 Key Pass, 2 Shots on Target, 2 Tackles Won, 1 Accurate Cross Not a Corner (ACNC), 5 Interceptions, 2 Clearances, 1 Successful Dribble, & 2 Aerials. Historically, he is hit or miss, which is why he has been a perpetual streamer. Last season's stats don't make for pleasant reading - 5.7 pps. So don't expect this type of performance every week, and with Moutinho potentially coming back, his starting role is likely in jeopardy. This is a long wind-up to say that if Dendoncker starts this GW or later in the season, he is a decent streamer in a pinch. Keep an eye out and act accordingly.
Honorable Mentions:
Joelinton (Newcastle MID; 19 ghosts): Sir Joseph of Lintonshire started the season with a bang - seasons come and go, class is permanent. Top ghoster of the GW, he gave it to Nottingham Forest. While this fixture was a ghostie extravaganza for most Magpies, don't expect these numbers to continue, as Joey trailed off at the end of last season and finished with a ghost point per start avg of just over 7 last season. But this is a good sign that he will continue to deliver the goods.
Fabian Schar (Newcastle DEF; 15 ghosts): Please see above - it's important to not look too much into this matchup v Forest. Schar can pop up for big games but he averaged less than 7 scary scores per start last season. He won't keep this up, especially against the big boys in the next few games after Brighton. Trade on a high.
Pedro Neto (Wolves FWD; 14 ghosts): There were glimpses of pre-injury Neto abound v Leeds this past GW. He was lively and on some sets. Once he adds some attacking returns, he'll be golden.
Danny Welbeck (Brighton FWD; 13 ghosts): Welbz continued his white-hot form from the end of last season, torching his former club and very unlucky (but not unexpected) to not win a penalty and fantasy assist at Old Trafford. Get him in.
Moises Caicedo (Brighton MID; 13 ghosts): The Ecuadorian was a man possessed, racking up points across the board. He was given a lot of plaudits in addition to fantasy points; expect to see a lot of him despite Potter roulette. Let's see if he can keep it up. He's a sneaky good waiver punt this week to find out.
Dr. Peter Venkman Award:
Ben Chilwell (Chelsea DEF; <0 ghosts): Poor Ben Chilwell. He makes his first Premier League start in months, coming back from a horrific knock, only to be granted Venkman status on his season debut. But when you get negative ghosts, you should expect it. Chilly had a roller-coaster season in 2021/2022, seeing the pine for the first few games after a tumultuous loss in the Euro final with England but then hitting peak form before tearing his ACL at the end of December. He has unsurprisingly looked off the pace in preseason, so much so that he was not even expected to start the opener v Everton. But start he did, and he also won a penalty and kept a clean sheet. So Chilwell must've scored 20+ with an assist and a cleanie, no? Not so much. He only mustered 13.75 total points. He only was able to rack up 1 Clearance, but that was more than offset by 3 dispossessions. Without the unnecessary penalty award that Doucoure gifted him and the clean sheet, he would've ended with negative points. On top of that, Cucurella came on and looked very active. It must be worrying times for Chilly rosterers.
***Click here to view the full Ghost Point Tracker table!***
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