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 1 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 1 Ghost Point Hunters
Greetings, dear readers, we made it through the long bleak summer without EPL. Bring on the agony and the ecstasy. Gameweek 1 has now come and gone - and what have we learned? This is a crucial time to try and assess up and comers, make some moves, and take some punts. We've updated the format a bit over here at GPH Headquarters. We've kept the three headliners, Category Killers, and the Dr. Peter Venkman Award. But we've ditched the Honorable Mention for two new sections. "Not So Fast" details a player that ghosted this past GW but we don't see it continuing. And "One To Watch" is someone we're monitoring for potential ghosting prowess but one in which we're not ready to invest just yet.
Now that we have that out of the way, let's get to it. On the big board, we're going with Dean Huijsen, James Milner, & Neco Williams. Inaugural Not So Fast & One To Watch nominees are Thomas Partey and Jacob Greaves, respectively. And the first Dr. Peter Venkman Award of this nascent season jointly goes to Erling Haaland & Jarrod Bowen. Welcome back, lads.
Dean Huijsen
Position: Defender
Team: Bournemouth
Rostered: 2%
Ghost Points Per Start: 13.5
Ghost Points Last GW: 13.5
Prospects: He's early. We didn't think this baby faced, twinkly toe'd CB would get his debut so soon. Dean Huijsen, a highly touted transfer from Juventus to Bournemouth, is aggressive and great with the ball at his feet. In his first start over the weekend at Nottingham Forest, he impressed both in real life and, more importantly, in fantasy terms. He posted over a dozen ghosties from a variety of places: 2 Interceptions, 6 Clearances, 1 Blocked Shot, & 9 Aerials. The Dutchman/newfound Spaniard was a surprise inclusion given that Marcos Senesi excelled for much of last season and the preseason thinking was that new boy Huijsen would be eased in. But Senesi was omitted from the squad in GW1 apparently due to illness. The Argentine could reclaim his place and leave us waiting for Huijsen to get another chance. But it's worth the punt to find out.
Verdict: Pick him up!
James Milner
Position: Midfielder
Team: Brighton
Rostered: 1%
Ghost Points Per Start: 11
Ghost Points Last GW: 11
Prospects: This isn't a typo. Yes, James Milner, the 98 year old pensioner, features again in these pages. Despite being 7 years older than his new manager, the Yorkshire midfielder keeps rolling back the years. In GW1, starting in the middle of the park for Hurzeler's new look Seagulls, he dropped 11 ghosties. These stemmed from 3 Key Passes, 2 Tackles Won, 1 Accurate Cross Not A Corner (ACNC), & 1 Blocked Shot. He also took some set pieces. He should keep his spot at least for now - barring new signings/the onset of arthritis - and early returns indicate he could do a job as a MID4/MID5. Especially with the dearth of mids on the waiver wire this season, he could do a job for your squad.
Verdict: Pick him up!
Neco Williams
Position: Defender
Team: Nottingham Forest
Rostered: 34%
Ghost Points Per Start: 15.25
Ghost Points Last GW: 15.25
Prospects: One of the top ghosters in this inaugural GW, Neco looked good against Bournemouth. He delivered 15+ scary scores from a plethora of sources: 2 Key Passes, 3 Tackles Won, 2 Accurate Cross Not A Corner (ACNC), 2 Interceptions, 1 Clearance, 2 Successful Dribbles, & 2 Aerials. We knew he had it in him. He showed his worth in stretches last season, finishing with a respectable GPPS of 8 in 23/24. But it's not all puppy dogs and ice cream. This may not last. It was a favorable matchup and he's done this previously before reverting to relative mediocrity. He's worth the punt, however. In the immediate future, he has a tasty matchup on paper v Southampton in GW2. Until proven otherwise, he is a ride it until the wheels fall off pickup.
Verdict: Pick him up!
Not So Fast:
Thomas Partey (Arsenal MID; 10.5 ghosts): We've been here before. The enigmatic Ghanaian midfielder has previously popped up with impressive performances. But it never lasts. Partey was indeed a pleasant surprise in GW1 v Wolves, pitching in double digit ghosts, including 4 Key Passes. He flattered to deceive, however, as he looked leggy at times and misplaced some sloppy passes. He was also forced to push forward due to Wolves' low block, hence the key passes, and this won't happen every week. Partey will also likely lose his place with the imminent arrival of Mikel Merino. Finally, we know that he can't consistently ghost as he only mustered 5.7 GPPS last season. In short, he can't be trusted, and we're not falling for it again.
One To Watch:
Jacob Greaves (Ipswich Town DEF; 10 ghosts): We had our eyes on Jacob Greaves coming into this new campaign but given the uncertainty and early schedule, he wasn't worth drafting. But he is worth monitoring. He didn't disappoint in GW1 with 10 ghosts in an all action performance: 1 Shot On Target (SOT), 2 Interceptions, 8 Clearances, 1 Blocked Shot, & 3 Aerials. He looks like a new version of Liam Cooper at Leeds. If he can ghost like the big Scot and keep the goals conceded down (aided by the new defensive scoring changes), he could be a nice bargain. Having said all that, the next few fixtures are pretty rough: @Man City, Fulham, & @Brighton. After that, though, the schedule softens up a bit. If he keeps this up, we'll be going back to the well in a few weeks.
Category Killer Winners:
Key Passes: Andreas Pereira (6)
Successful Dribbles: Jeremy Doku (6)
Aerials: Dean Huijsen (9)
Accurate Crosses Not Corners (ACNCs): Cole Palmer (3)
Tackles Won: Antonee Robinson (6)
Interceptions: Mario Lemina (5)
Dr. Peter Venkman Award(s):
Erling Haaland & Jarrod Bowen: It gives me no pleasure - other than the obvious pleasure it gives me - to point out that Erling Haaland got less than 12 points with a goal in GW1. He combined 3 dispossessions with a naughty yellow card. He actually ghosts better than one would think - just under 7 GPPS last season - but he can go anonymous. He only made three passes during the entire game v Chelsea. Ouch. Jarrod Bowen also shunned the ghosties in the opening weekend. The diminutive Englishman finished with an appalling one pointer against Aston Villa. He only delivered 1 Key Pass &1 Clearance, which was dented by 2 dispossessions. We're not too worried, though, as he can have these types of games (West Ham, as a whole, were pretty average and will need time in a new system). He was on some set pieces and looked lively; he should be fine.
***Click here to view the full Ghost Point Tracker table!***
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