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 4 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 4 Ghost Point Hunters
That was a strange gameweek. Some monsters were tamed and some unheralded players hauled. Let's try and make sense of it. Heading into GW5, we're shining the bright lights on Dara O'Shea, Carlos Baleba, and Mario Lemina. We then give Justin Kluivert & Amad Diallo the Not So Fast treatment, with Axel Tuanzebe and (King) Kai Havertz as the One(s) To Watch. Finally, a promoted player, Stephy Mavididi, gets rewarded for his debut goal in the big leagues with a Dr. Peter Venkman Award. Congrats, you've made it!
Dara O'Shea
Position: Defender
Team: Ipswich Town
Rostered: 1%
Ghost Points Per Start: 17.5 (only 1 start)
Ghost Points Last GW: 17.5
Prospects: If you know, you know. And we know. The big Irishman featured numerous times in these pages last season when he was ghosting for Burnley (9 Ghost Points Per Start in 23/24 for the Clarets). Recently signed to Ipswich, we were excited about O'Shea but also a bit measured given that the Tractor Boys already have a ghosting CB in the form of Jacob Greaves, and there are only so many points to go around.
Well, Dara's debut put paid to those concerns, as he posted an absurd 17.5 scary scores against Brighton: 2 Tackles Won, 4 Interceptions, 6 Clearances, 4 Blocked Shots, & 6 Aerials. The big question, as usual, is...can he keep this up or is this a one off? We have arguments for both sides. His ghosts from last season prove that he has it in his locker to consistently score well. And Ipswich seems to have a tighter backline than 23/24 Burnley (an admittedly low bar) and the defensive scoring changes helps players like O'Shea. On the other side, everyone seems to have ghosted against a very lively Brighton (the aforementioned Greaves & others also did well) and this is just one piece of data. We want to see more. Greaves could still cannibalize some of Dara's ghosties and vice versa. Let's see how the next few GWs go before making any conclusions. Having said all that, he's well worth the punt given the upside.
Verdict: Pick him up!
Carlos Baleba
Position: Midfielder
Team: Brighton
Rostered: 10%
Ghost Points Per Start: 10.3
Ghost Points Last GW: 13
Prospects: There has a been a lot of buzz around Brighton midfielders in the early part of the season. But none of that has been in reference to Carlos Baleba. He has been ever so quietly producing ghosts early doors. This past GW, he posted over a dozen scary scores from 1 Key Pass, 1 Shot on Target, 2 Tackles Won, 4 Successful Dribbles, & 2 Aerials. This is an excellent all around performance, which bodes well for the future.
It technically isn't a one off as he also put in a decent shift v Arsenal the previous GW with 7.5 ghosts. In difficult matchups, Baleba can pitch in with defensive stats. And in better ones - such as the last matchup v Ipswich - he can go forward and even nick some attacking returns (he was unlucky to do so over the weekend). At the end of the day, he's still more of a defensive midfielder, but given the dearth of midfielders this season, he is worth the benefit of the doubt and has the ability to serve as a MID3/MID4 ROS if he can nail down that spot when everyone is healthy (a big ask). In the meantime, stream away and hope for the best.
Verdict: Pick him up!
Mario Lemina
Position: Midfielder
Team: Wolves
Rostered: 18%
Ghost Points Per Start: 8.9
Ghost Points Last GW: 13
Prospects: Wow, where did that come from? Yes, we know that Mario Lemina can pop up for a random haul every now and again - usually before reverting to type. But the engine room conductor not only delivered a gang of ghosts, which we'll get to later, but also passed the eye test in what seemed to be a more advanced role v Newcastle in GW4. He was often playing more forward than Matheus Cunha at times, which is why he was in position to tap in a beautiful team goal in the first half. But back to the ghosts. Lemina dropped 13 of them, which stemmed from 2 Key Passes, 1 Tackle Won, 1 Accurate Cross No Corners (ACNC), 2 Interceptions, 2 Successful Dribbles, & 2 Aerials.
We want to temper expectations given that, again, Lemina has these monster games in his locker but has lacked consistency. The proof is in the pudding as he finished last season with a meh 6.3 GPPS. However, we are still excited. His GPPS this campaign is up around 9 and he has shown an eye for goal. We have to reiterate the complete lack of midfield depth this season, which further inflates his value. Wolves have a tough schedule, but he should be at the heart of both defensive and attacking activity for the Black Country club. He'll do a job in your midfield ROS.
Verdict: Pick him up!