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 3 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 3 Ghost Point Hunters
Well, that was fun while it lasted. It only took three gameweeks to be hit with our first (dreaded) international break. While frustrating, this is a good opportunity to take stock of our squads and see if we can use this time to make improvements. With that in mind, here are the folks we're highlighting in bright lights: Damsgaard, Kristiansen, & Estupinan. In the Not So Fast section, we have Illia Zabarnyi, and Matheus Cunha is the One To Watch this international break. Last and certainly least, Lucho Diaz, fresh off a brace against his club's fiercest rivals, unwillingly accepts the Dr. Peter Venkman Award. No one is safe.
Mikel Damsgaard
Position: Midfielder
Team: Brentford
Rostered: 1%
Ghost Points Per Start: 14 (only 1 start)
Ghost Points Last GW: 14
Prospects: This guy. The great (not so much) Dane has flattered to deceive before. Damsgaard came to Blighty amid much fanfare and proceeded to ride the bench and not live up to the hype even when getting the nod. So, when he got a rare start this past GW, we were rightly skeptical. But he was impressive, bagging a load of ghosties from 3 Key Passes, 1 Shot on Target, 3 Tackles Won, 2 Interceptions, & 2 Successful Dribbles. Fair play.
But this was against lowly Southampton and he has yet to show he can stay fit and consistent. Damsgaard also has competition in those places where he can play. Brentford also happen to be away to Man City in GW4, so he's definitely not an option for GW4 (and he probably won't even start). Having said all that, he is one to keep an eye on and stream in the future if he continues showing promise and the matchup is right.
Verdict: Monitor and stream but only in case of emergency.
Victor Kristiansen
Position: Defender
Team: Leicester City
Rostered: 7%
Ghost Points Per Start: 9.2
Ghost Points Last GW: 10.75
Prospects: Leicester defenders have been tricky ever since Fuchs, Chilwell, Maguire, and company left the King Power stadium. Ricardo Pereira has been a shell of himself since his peak. James Justin has had his moments but hasn't been reliable. The Foxes conceded goals for fun last time they were in the EPL, and it's looking like a similar situation this time. But one man has emerged relatively unscathed so far this season: Victor Kristiansen.
The Dane - pure coincidence that we're featuring two of them in the same week - came to Leicester in January 2023 and was sent on a fairly successful loan spell in Bologna in 23/24 (6.2 ghost points per 90 in 32 apps). Kristiansen's come back to Leicester now and looks legit. He's averaging over nine scary scores per start over the first three GWs and just posted double digit ghosts his last time out. Against Villa, he delivered 2 Key Passes, 2 Tackles Won, 1 ACNC, 3 Interceptions, 1 Clearance, & 1 Blocked Shot. He's decent in both attacking and defensive areas, and could even pop up for the occasional attacking return. With the help of the new defensive scoring, if Leicester can keep the goals conceded to a reasonable amount, Kristiansen could be a nice defensive streamer ROS. Other than Arsenal away in 3 weeks, their schedule is soft for the next 8 weeks (2nd best defender FDT).
Verdict: Pick him up if need a defensive streamer.
Pervis Estupinan
Position: Defender
Team: Brighton
Rostered: 73%
Ghost Points Per Start in 23/24: 8.1
Ghost Points Last GW: 6 (in 17 mins)
Prospects: It's been a long time since we've seen the best of Pervis Estupinan. He was a revelation when he came to Brighton as a relatively unknown. He proved himself as a swashbuckling wingback, and the points followed. But injuries and an apparent row with the previous manager limited the Ecuadorian to just 15 starts last season. And he came into this new campaign carrying a bad knock that has kept him out of action - until now.
Against Arsenal this past GW, he posted six ghosties in just 17 minutes. These came from 2 Key Passes and 2 Accurate Crosses Not Corners (ACNCs). Estupinan took some set pieces and passed the eye test in his brief cameo. The new manager has also recently sung his praises, referring to him as one of the best fullbacks in the league. We know he can ghost (8+ GPPS the past few seasons) and now Brighton's defense looks a lot more secure (new defensive scoring will also help). This could be the last time you can get him in before his stock rises.
Verdict: Pick him up or trade him in before his value goes way up. Try opening with a MID5 (e.g., Cook) or FWD3 (Elanga) straight up; add $ if need be.
Not So Fast:
Illia Zabarnyi (Bournemouth DEF; 10.25 ghosts): The big Ukrainian got back to ghosting this past GW, dropping double digit scary scores from a few different categories: 2 Interceptions, 7 Clearances, & 7 Aerials. If it weren't for the 2 goals conceded, Zabs would have been in line for a monster score. So things are looking up for him, no? Well, not really. This was the Everton effect. Playing against Everton as a defender usually yields better than average points, particularly with regard to Aerials. Hence why he snagged 7 of them this past GW, much more than any previous GW. Someone has to mop up the incessant and often errant McNeil crosses (5 accurate out of 12 attempted in GW3). Zabaryni also doesn't really have a penchant for ghosting, per his recent stats. In the first two matches, he only posted 5ish ghosties in both. And last season he only mustered 6.7 ghost points per game. So we're not falling for it - leave him on the waiver wire (until they play Everton at home).
One To Watch:
Matheus Cunha (Wolves FWD; 8.25 ghosts): We're so excited about this guy. And, no, it's not just because we have a soft spot for Wolves. He passes the eye and ghost tests. Wolves have had a fairly rough start to this new campaign and are still finding their footing after losing talisman Pedro Neto and having to bed in a few new faces. But Matheus Cunha picked up right where he left off. He came over from Atletico Madrid in the January 2023 window but didn't have his breakout until last season under Gary O'Neil, during which he delivered just under a dozen points per start, over 7 GPPS, and 19 G/A.
This season he looks even better. He's now taking some set pieces (2 corners in GW3) with Neto & Sarabia out of the picture. And while Wolves isn't the most prolific side, Cunha is integral and at the heart of everything they do attacking-wise. He's going to get his. His most recent outing yielded 2 Key Passes, 1 Tackle Won, 3 Clearances, & 4 Successful Dribbles (his secret weapon). He also hit the post for the second GW in a row (17.5 xPP90 vs 15.2 PP90). He's now on over 8 GPPS and is due to ramp that up and add more attacking returns. Trade him in before he fully blows up.
Category Killer Winners:
Key Passes: Kevin De Bruyne (6)
Successful Dribbles: Adama Traore (5)
Aerials: Dominic Calvert Lewin (8)
Accurate Crosses Not Corners (ACNCs): Lucas Digne (2)
Tackles Won: Mario Lemina (5)
Interceptions: Ola Aina (5)
Dr. Peter Venkman Award:
Luis Diaz (Liverpool FWD; -0.5 ghosts): It may seem harsh to castigate someone who just dropped a brace on their rivals. But we're in the ghost business, not the making friends business. So do you want to hear this or not, snowflakes? The boy from Barracas, Luis Diaz, was sensational against Man United, banging in two goals as we mentioned. But his ghosts were non-existent. A goal results in 11 points (9 for the goal, 2 for the accompanying Shot on Target). He scored two yet finished under 22 points? The math is not mathing here. That's because aside from the goals he only mustered 1 Successful Dribble, which was more than offset by 3 Dispossessions. Let's cut Diaz some slack, though. He has surprised all of us by his early season dominance and other than this performance, he's still putting in the ghost work. He has 11 GPPS in the other two games and 8.1 GPPS in 23/24. He's gonna be just fine. But how long can he sustain these highs? Don't tell any Cafeteros but it might be time to trade high.
***Click here to view the full Ghost Point Tracker table!***
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