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 5 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 5 Ghost Point Hunters
We move. With GW5 now in the books, we have a little more data and more eye test footage to analyze. This week's edition features Jesper Lindstrom, Illia Zabarnyi, and Sepp van den Berg on the big board. We scold Moises Caicedo and Kyle Walker by telling them Not So Fast. And Mikkel Damsgaard and Joachim Andersen are the One(s) To Watch. Meanwhile, the Dr. Peter Venkman Award unfortunately goes to Declan Rice; again, we're nothing if not fair.
Jesper Lindstrom
Position: Midfielder
Team: Everton
Rostered: 5%
Ghost Points Per Start: 9 (only 1 start)
Ghost Points Last GW: 9
Prospects: The dross, route one, anti-woke football of Sean Dyche's Everton was due for an injection of creativity. So over the summer the Toffees brought in not one but two creative midfielders in the form of Iliman Ndiaye and Jesper Lindstrom. The former cracked the starting lineup two games ago and the latter just got his starting debut over the weekend. And he did not disappoint, posting nearly double digit ghosts from just 60 minutes of work and from a variety of sources: 1 Key Pass, 1 Shot on Target, 4 Tackles Won, 1 Interception, 1 Successful Dribble, & 1 Aerial.
The Danish maestro impressed over preseason, particularly with his tasty free kick goal, and now looks like he'll finally get a chance to shine (as much as one can at Everton). But Harrison is still competing for this spot and Dyche did only give Lindstrom 60 minutes (hopefully just building up fitness). If he can nail down this spot, though, he could be a gem. He's also got a shot to break up McNeil's set piece monopoly, taking their only free kick shot so far and only corner not taken by McNeil (who's a lefty, while Lindstrom's a righty). Everton has a nice run of fixtures from here on out and, again, there is quite a shortage of midfield talent on the waiver wire. If given the chance, he could really be a force multiplier for managers. Let's hope he keeps getting starts and can work his set piece magic.
Verdict: Pick him up!
IIlia Zabarnyi
Position: Defender
Team: Bournemouth
Rostered: 11%
Ghost Points Per Start: 7.1
Ghost Points Last GW: 9.25
Prospects: The big Ukrainian had a good run last season. But it was not sustainable. We have short memories, however, as fantasy managers and now we're (temporarily at least) back on the Zabarnyi train. He ghosted pretty well in GW5, delivering nearly double digits from 3 Tackles Won, 2 Interceptions, 5 Clearances, 2 Blocked Shots, & 1 Aerial.
Let's be real, Zabarnyi can be very mediocre. His 6.5 GPPS in 23/24 is nothing to shake a stick at. But he can also turn it on in games and in good matchups. It really doesn't get any better than lowly Southampton at home, which is the matchup Bournemouth have been gifted this GW. So stream away, with the knowledge that this is a very short term play.
Verdict: Pick him up and stream this GW.
Sepp van den Berg
Position: Defender
Team: Brentford
Rostered: 2%
Ghost Points Per Start: 8.5
Ghost Points Last GW: 11
Prospects: The latest in a long line of largely discarded but talented Liverpool defenders (e.g., Nat Phillips), Sepp van den Berg had to swap Merseyside for West London this summer in order to get some game time. And he finally is getting those well deserved minutes, starting back to back games for the Bees. While his debut was forgettable - it was at the Etihad, so it is a write off - his latest start was full of ghosts. His 11 scary scores stemmed from 1 Key Pass, 3 Tackles Won, 1 Interception, 4 Clearances, 1 Blocked Shot, & 3 Aerials.
It must be said that the Brentford defense is pretty crowded, with erstwhile ghosting legend Ethan Pinnock and new boy Nathan Collins also fighting for these precious points. But it looks like there may be enough to go around. Sepp is more than capable of hoovering them up as he is good defensively and also on the ball. He averaged 5.4 aerials won/90 in the Bundesliga last season. It remains to be seen if he stays in the lineup, though, with Brentford usually moving away from a back 3 against the easier teams. For now, it looks like VDB has earned a spot in the XI, but be sure to see how Frank lines up his squad this weekend vs. West Ham. He should be treated as a high upside streamer, especially in decent matchups, with the potential to be a rest of season hold if he shows some ghosting consistency (and starts often). Watch this space.
Verdict: Pick him up! He should serve as a premium defensive streamer in good matchups ROS.