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!
Gameweek 18 Ghost Point Hunters
The festive season is upon us. Let's check in with the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. Dan Burn, Moises Caicedo, & Mikel Damsgaard are on the holiday big board. Honorable Mention, meanwhile, features Lucas Paqueta, Pascal Gross (a mainstay at this point), Josko Gvardiol, & Michael Keane (welcome back, sweet prince). Last and certainly least, Adam Lallana has coal in his stocking from Saint Nick/Dr. Peter Venkman.
Dan Burn
Position: Defender
Team: Newcastle United
Rostered: 79%
Ghost Points Per Start: 7.2
Ghost Points Last GW: 15.25
Prospects: Back from injury, the giant Geordie just had one of his best performances this past GW v Fulham. Given the myriad injuries, it's hard to tell if he'll be at CB or LB next time out. His GPPS this season is pretty middling but he has it in his locker to break out. We're not fully convinced yet. Even though we'd like to have him on the roster, it's likely too costly.
Verdict: Test the waters but the price might be too high.
Some guys just don't look like football players. Big Dan Burn - as the name indicates - is one such man. He's an enormous Geordie and he looks more suited to rugby or many other things than footy. But here we are. Originally a CB, he has been moonlighting at LB for much of his time at Newcastle under Eddie Howe. He was a must-roster last season when the Magpies rattled off so many clean sheets. But recently those have been few and far between. And Burn's ghosts have largely remained the same - 7ish GPPS in 22/23 and this season - not enough to offset goals conceded.
A spinal injury has kept him out the last few games, but he returned in GW17 v Fulham. And Burn delivered a monster, pairing a goal with a cleanie and a gang of ghosts, which stemmed from 2 Shots on Target, 4 Interceptions, 1 Clearance, & 7 Aerials. The interesting bit is that most of this cameo was at his old position of CB - he shifted from the left in minute 15 after Fabian Schar went off injured. It does give him more opportunity for aerials and other defensive actions, which can be seen in his stats. If this continues, should we expect the same inflated points for Burn? The myriad Newcastle injuries may require him to remain centrally; if so, act accordingly.
Moises Caicedo
Position: Midfielder
Team: Chelsea
Rostered: 52%
Ghost Points Per Start: 4.6
Ghost Points Last GW: 10
Prospects: The central midfielder has not replicated his Brighton form in West London but that might be about to change. He was very impressive against Sheffield United - both eye test wise and fantasy wise. But was it due to the low level of competition or a sign of things to come? Stay tuned.
Verdict: Pick him up! (even though he is 52% rostered, he should be available in most competitive leagues)
One of the many high-priced transfers on long contracts, Caicedo likely was the most coveted of the bunch that arrived at Chelsea this summer. The Ecuadorian has it all - a young, bruising, silky midfielder with a motor and excellent passing range. But it hasn't gone to plan at Chelsea in his debut campaign. A few knocks and the team's poor form in general have contributed to the misconception that maybe Caicedo won't live up to the hype. But it's early days and he and the team need time to gel.
For fantasy managers, Caicedo has been hard to figure out. He's essentially a holding midfielder but he gets forward enough that he offers potential for CDM+ status. He salvaged a 7+ GPPS last season with Brighton and while he only had one goal and one assist to his name, he had a nice purple patch that, again, raised expectations that he could be a set and forget MID3/4. He is only managing 4.6 GPPS with Chelsea and zero attacking returns.
But GW17 provided some cause for optimism. Caicedo dropped double digit ghosts from
2 Key Passes, 1 Tackle Won, 1 Interception, 2 Successful Dribbles, 1 Blocked Shot, & 2 Aerials. He was very unlucky to not get an assist or two. He was without his midfield partner Enzo Fernandez and was playing more advanced and heavily involved in the attack. The problem is that we don't know if this was just a result of the matchup - against a relegation contender with a low block - and he'll revert to type against Wolves or if it's a new day. We're not buying the former just yet but also not fully discounting the latter. Caicedo is good cover for the late game this GW if nothing else.
Mikel Damsgaard
Position: Midfielder
Team: Brentford
Rostered: 4%
Ghost Points Per Start: N/A (only 1 start)
Ghost Points Last GW: 10.5
Prospects: The great Dane has not been so great. In fact, he's been a huge bust. He's largely been injured, on the bench, or underwhelming on the pitch. But there's always hope. He got a rare start over the weekend and delivered a nice ghost point haul. Brentford do not play this GW but we'll monitor Damsgaard as we're always ready to get hurt again.
Verdict: Given the blank GW for BRF this week, wait to pick him up.
We had high hopes for Mikel Damsgaard. He was a breakout star at Euro 2020 and a relatively big money signing for Thomas Frank. More importantly, he had some fairly impressive fantasy numbers at Sampdoria, with some set pieces mixed in. Well, you can't be let down if you don't expect the world. Suffice it to say, we were let down. In 22/23, Damsgaard only mustered 9 starts and a ppg under 3, with zero attacking returns.
As a result, there wasn't any hype around the Dane coming into this season. These low expectations have been proven correct, as Damsgaard failed to start any of Brentford's first 16 games. Enter GW17, in which he was granted his debut start of the campaign. He surprisingly dazzled, posting double digit ghosts like a boss. These scary scores were the result of the following: 1 Key Pass, 1 Shot on Target, 3 Tackles Won, 1 Accurate Cross Not a Corner (ACNC), 1 Interception, 1 Successful Dribble, & 1 Aerial. It was an all action performance. But bad memories - and his 4.9 GPPS last season - lead us to be skeptical that this will continue. However, everyone, including Damsgaard, deserves a second chance. And after Brentford's blank this GW, we'll take another look.
Honorable Mention:
Lucas Paqueta (West Ham MID; 16.5 ghosts): The Brazilian bagged a hat trick of assists to go along with some tasty ghosts. He has a tidy GPPS of 8 but can have games like this. The sword of Damocles is hanging over his head with this betting scandal ongoing. The shoe will drop at some point but given how long it took for Toney, you should be able to enjoy the ride for awhile longer.
Pascal Gross (Brighton MID; 14 ghosts): The guy is a machine. We watched the game and thought to ourselves: "Gross has barely touched the ball." Much to our chagrin, he still somehow nicked 14 scary scores. That's when you know you're a legend. We're trying to get him in.
Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City DEF; 12 ghosts): We all know the trap that is Man City defenders. But sometimes they can pleasantly surprise. The Croatian did just that, getting forward from LB and posting a dozen ghosties. Don't expect this to continue (his GPPS is a paltry 7) but if they ever do keep a cleansheet, he might be the pick of the litter. Good thing they never will.
Michael Keane (Everton DEF; 11 ghosts): The man, the myth, the legend - Keano rarely disappoints. Woken from his cryogenic slumber, the towering Englishman coupled a goal and clean sheet with eleven ghosts, proving yet again that he is a must-start when he is on the team sheet.
Category Killers:
Key Passes: Trent Alexander Arnold (6)
Successful Dribbles: Mohammed Kudus (5)
Aerials: Jamaal Lascelles (9)
Accurate Crosses Not Corners (ACNCs): Kyle Walker (5)
Tackles Won: Neco Williams (7)
Interceptions: Antonee Robinson (7)
Dr. Peter Venkman Award:
Adam Lallana (Brighton MID; 0.5 ghosts): The Seagulls have become very frustrating to roster. With Europe added to an already rotation-heavy squad, the minutes have become even more sparse and the early subs more prevalent. Adam Lallana is one of the worst of the bunch. Not only does he get yanked early, he doesn't score well at all. This past GW, he only mustered a half point. He had 1 Aerial and nothing else. This isn't much worse than his nauseating 1.8 GPPS. Brighton streamers are always a gamble, but Lallana is an absolute dead end. Do not fall for it.
***Click here to view the full Ghost Point Tracker table!***
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