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 21 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 21 Ghost Point Hunters
Happy New Year! Whew, we made it through the festive season. Now we take a slight breather before going back into the void. On the big board we have James Milner, Luis Sinisterra, and Curtis Jones. Meanwhile, the Honorable Mention section features Alfie Doughty, Marcus Tavernier, Alphonse Areola, & Craig Dawson. And the first Dr. Peter Venkman Award of 2024 goes to none other than....Ryan Christie!
James Milner
Position: Midfielder
Team: Brighton
Rostered: 4%
Ghost Points Per Start: 5.3
Ghost Points Last GW: 13
Prospects: A flurry of injuries has made the indefatigable journeyman a nearly indispensable cog in the Brighton XI. But for fantasy purposes, it matters where exactly he is on the pitch. The early returns with him in the LCM role are pretty good. If he continues there, he's a nice streamer with ride it until the wheels fall off potential.
Verdict: Pick him up!
After all these years, we're still weighing ole James Milner as a waiver wire pickup. It's really a testament to his persistent longevity and our lack of streaming options. Just kidding, kind of. The aging Yorkshire midfielder left Liverpool over the summer for the south coast and has adapted to the demands of Roberto De Zerbi. While injuries have helped provide openings for Milner to get playing time, he has done a job when called upon. For fantasy purposes, he has largely been one to avoid. But that may be changing.
Due to the Seagull injury crisis, Milner has been asked to fill in at Left Back and seemingly across the pitch. Lately, he has been serving as a quasi left-sided midfielder - and to great effect. In this role over the past two gameweeks, he is averaging nearly 13 points, including a ghosty GW last time out at West Ham. He was unlucky not to pick up an assist but delivered over a dozen scary scores, stemming from 4 Key Passes, 1 Tackle Won, 2 Accurate Crosses Not Corners (ACNC), & 1 Interception. Milner, at least over the past few seasons, hasn't been a consistent ghost machine (5ish GPPS this campaign and the previous one). But this newfound role puts him in dangerous positions and, as one can see, the ghosties are flowing. He should keep this spot for the next few games, which include Wolves & Luton Town. As far as midfielder streamers go, one could do a lot worse than going back to the future.
Luis Sinisterra
Position: Forward
Team: Bournemouth
Rostered: 13%
Ghost Points Per Start: 9 (just two starts)
Ghost Points Last GW: 11
Prospects: Only afforded two starts since his arrival on loan, Sinisterra should be relatively nailed on while Semenyo is off at Afcon. And we know from his performances this season and previously with Leeds that he can pair ghosties with some tasty attacking returns.
Verdict: Pick him up and hold at least until the end of Afcon (with a potential longer term hold if he makes this spot his own).
We couldn't have been the only ones surprised to see Luis Sinisterra loaned from relegated Leeds United to Bournemouth. It's not that he doesn't deserve to stay in the top flight it's that the Cherries were seemingly already spoiled for choice in the wide positions with no less than Semenyo, Kluivert, Ouatarra, Tavernier, and others able to fill those roles. But here we are. The Colombian has in fact been largely surplus to requirements - some nice cameos off the bench but zero starts until recently.
However, with Semenyo off to Afcon, Sinisterra now has a great opportunity to make his mark. And he did not disappoint last GW, posting 11 ghosties and looking ever so dangerous. He secured these points from 2 Key Passes, 1 Tackle Won, 1 Interception, 5 Successful Dribbles, & 2 Aerials. And this was in just over 60 minutes. We hope and assume that his match fitness will improve and he will get some elusive 90 minute outings soon. Sinisterra has shown he can do the business. He is a no brainer pickup with short term upside and the tantalizing prospects of a potential long term hold.
Curtis Jones
Position: Midfielder
Team: Liverpool
Rostered: 20%
Ghost Points Per Start: 3.9
Ghost Points Last GW: 13.5
Prospects: With the dearth of midfield options - Endo is at the Asian Cup & Szobo reportedly has a knock - Jones should get a few opportunities in the upcoming gameweeks. While he looked good last time out, he has long been a bit boom or bust. So be wary but break glass in case of emergency/needed upside.
Verdict: Pick him up!
The Liverpool midfield has largely been a fantasy cesspool - pun very much intended - for years. Save a rare monster haul from Keita, Wijnaldum, or Henderson, their engine room has been where ghost points go to die. The midfield three was all about facilitating and getting the ball to the lethal three up top. With an overdue revamp to said midfield this summer, there was hope that it would change. Szoboslai has shown some flickers but still no consistency in that part of the pich, at least fantasy wise. Enter Curtis Jones, who has been the epitome of this dynamic - he can drop a huge score but can just as easily blank.
His 4-ish GPPS puts paid to that. Jones is also not the first on the teamsheet, only receiving the starting nod 12 times last season. But that doesn't mean all hope is lost. Jones has already started 7 times this campaign and knocks/international tournaments mean he will have a chance to shine. He did just that against Newcastle in GW20 with 13.5 ghosts derived from 2 Key Passes, 3 Shots on Target, 2 Tackles Won, & 2 Successful Dribbles. The only rub is that nearly everyone in red scored well - Liverpool broke xG records in this game. Darwin Nunez, for example, had 1.7 xG alone. So we need to take this performance with a hefty helping of salt. But if you need upside, with a dose of risk, Jonesy is your man.
Honorable Mention:
Alfie Doughty (Luton Town MID; 19.5 ghosts): This is what Draft EPL is all about - an unheralded baller on a poor team ghosting out of his mind. The English crossing machine now boasts double digit GPPS and shows no signs of slowing down. He has become one of the steals of the season for those who swooped him earlier in the season.
Marcus Tavernier (Bournemouth MID; 16.5 ghosts): After a rare blank, Tav got back to his ghosting ways (against us, mind you) this past GW v Spurs. He is rated by Iraola and has a ton of upside. Wait for another low point and try to get him in.
Alphonse Areola (West Ham United GK; 16.25 ghosts): We do not highlight GKs very often but Areola's form merits at least a mention. Over the past 3 GWs, he has averaged over 13 ghosties, winning managers some GWs on his own. Let's see if he can keep it going.
Craig Dawson (Wolves DEF; 13,75 ghosts): Wolves defenders have been so hit or miss, and it's very difficult to know which one of them will ghost in a given GW. Dawson won the crown this past GW and just edges his partner in crime, Max Kilman, in GPPS (7.8 v 7.7). He's a streamer in decent matchups.
Category Killers:
Key Passes: Phil Foden (6)
Successful Dribbles: Luis Diaz (5)
Aerials: Chris Wood (6)
Accurate Crosses Not Corners (ACNCs): Alfie Doughty (4)
Tackles Won: Edson Alvarez (4)
Interceptions: Vitalii Mykolenko (5)
Dr. Peter Venkman Award:
Ryan Christie (Bournemouth MID; 0.5 ghosts): We feel silly. We feel deceived but fool me once... We should have known better that Christie, through no fault of his own, was not a bonafide ghoster. Yes, he has had his moments, but he's a 7 point player - always has been, likely always will be. The Scot indeed ghosted out a few times this campaign but is now reverting to the mean, following up a random 16 ghost point performance v Palace in early December with just 5 GPPS over the past 4 GWs. Christie saved his worst for the most recent outing at Spurs, dropping a paltry half point, stemming from 1 Interception that was dented by 1 Dispossession. We've moved on to his colleague, Alex Scott, who has our collective hearts aflutter at the moment. It may sound harsh but those are the breaks.
***Click here to view the full Ghost Point Tracker table!***
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