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 31 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 31 Ghost Point Hunters
Does any of this really matter? GW31 finds GPH in a very existential mood. The answer is clearly no - if it wasn't, surely Mitoma would be duly granted his goal & assist - but we trudge along. Here we are: another week of regularly scheduled programming, no doubles or blanks. Enjoy it while you can. This is what we have on the big board (and, no, it's not 2019): Aaron Cresswell (we missed you), Jeffrey Schlupp, & Willian. And Honorable Mention includes: Michael Olise, Reece James, Jordan Ayew, & Cedric (the entertainer; h/t WJB). Finally, the Dr. Peter Venkman award - harshly some would say - goes to the aforementioned golden boy, Kaoru Mitoma.
Aaron Cresswell
Position: Defender
Team: West Ham United
Rostered: 62%
Ghost Points Per Start: 8.8
Ghost Points Last GW: 10
Prospects: He was out for a long spell due to injury, which saw him give way to Emerson on the left side of the defense. But he seems to have regained his spot. Don't start him v Arsenal but he is a great DEF to roster ROS.
Verdict: While his rostership is technically 62%, in most competitive leagues he is surely available on the WW. Pick him up!
The legend that is Aaron William Cresswell - yes, we know his middle name - has been built on lovely curling cross by lovely curling cross over the years. His domination of set pieces & ability to nick Accurate Crosses Not Corners (ACNCs) as well as assists have given him immense value. While he fell off a bit last season and has been nursing knocks for much of this season, he can still do a job with that magic wand of a left foot, hence his relatively high Gpps of almost 9.
And so it proved this past GW in which he started for the first time since January. Cresswell rosterers were rewarded with 16 points, 10 of which were ghosties. These stemmed from the following: 2 Key Passes, 1 Tackle Won, 1 ACNC, 2 Interceptions, 4 Clearances, & 1 Blocked Shot. It's a sight for sore eyes. The Hammers have a treacherous schedule at times ROS, starting with Arsenal this weekend. But they do have some kind matchups interspersed with the difficult ones. So this is just a gentle reminder to field Cressy in those tasty fixtures in the run-in. That's all; carry on.
Jeffrey Schlupp
Position: Midfielder
Team: Crystal Palace
Rostered: 11%
Ghost Points Per Start: 5.1
Ghost Points Last GW: 12
Prospects: He has been somewhat of a mainstay under whichever manager has rocked up at Selhurst Park. And Roy loves him. He should be nailed on ROS & can deliver numbers like he did over the weekend.
Verdict: Pick him up.
"My name is Jeff" aka Jeffrey Schlupp is another fantasy GOAT. He is more of a utility player - you know in your bones, largely because of history but also due to all the feels he exudes, that he can do a job for your squad. He is the best "break glass in case of emergency" asset we have ever seen. And he shattered that glass ceiling - did we use that term correctly? - this past GW.
Schlupp posted a dozen scary scores against a hapless Leeds over the weekend. It was a typical all-action performance, sourcing both attacking & defensive statistics: 2 Key Passes, 2 Tackles Won, 2 Clearances, 7 Successful Dribbles (!). Yes, Leeds can flatter even if the most washed of fantasy assets. But again, we already know Jeff has this in his locker. He can also pick up attacking returns, as he did at Elland Road. And with the tasty schedule & reinvigorated form recently displayed by Palace under Uncle Roy, we have to back Schlupp to continue to put in these kinds of shifts ROS (albeit 7 coS is surely too much to ask for every GW).
Willian
Position: Forward
Team: Fulham
Rostered: 61%
Ghost Points Per Start: 6.7
Ghost Points Last GW: 11.5
Prospects: He started like a house on fire this season, petered out, got a knock, and is now back on the pitch. He has shown he has ghosts in his locker, which he proved again this past GW. He's worth a speculative pick up.
Verdict: Similar to Cresswell, he is likely available on your wire. Pick him up.
What a rollercoaster it has been. We're speaking, of course, about the season of Willian. He came into the campaign with very low expectations having underwhelmed at Arsenal before going back to his native Brazil to presumably retire before inking a surprising move to Craven Cottage. And he balled out for large stretches of the campaign, before leveling off a bit after the World Cup (mixing in decent performances with anonymous ones in both January & February). And then he picked up a knock.
Well, he's back now, getting his first start in over a month against West Ham over the weekend. And he did not disappoint, dropping nearly a dozen ghosties. Willian kept it simple: 5 Key Passes & 2 Successful Dribbles. Granted, it was against relegation-threatened West Ham. And Fulham are on the proverbial beach, with seemingly very little to play for. But Willy has proven his bonafides over the course of the season. So he is worth picking up and/or monitoring to see if he can crack on and roll back the years from here on out.
Honorable Mentions:
Michael Olise (Crystal Palace MID; 25 ghosts): Wow. That's the Olise we have been waiting for. A hat trick of assists and a bag of scary scores provided one of the highest scores of the season in GW30. He and the rest of Roy's boys seem to have regained their shooting boots. Let's see if it lasts.
Reece James (Chelsea DEF; 20.75 ghosts): It took being under the helm of Super Frank in a back 4 for us to catch a glimpse of the old Reece James. If he stays healthy, despite Chelsea's difficult schedule, RJ will be a force ROS. It's probably worth trying to get him in right before the blank GW32 (if you have the room).
Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace FWD; 11.5 ghosts): It's all coming up Palace these days. GPH has called out the younger Ayew brother several times; he can do a job. He even got some goals this weekend. He'll be a premium waiver wire pick up this week if he is still available in your league.
Cedric Soares (Fulham DEF; 9.5 ghosts): Loaned out from Arsenal to Fulham, the Portuguese hasn't seen much game time this season. But he did in GW30 and showed he still has some ghosts left in the tank. He or Kenny Tete should be a decent defensive differential this weekend in a good matchup v goal-shy Everton.
Dr. Peter Venkman Award:
Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton MID; 1.5 ghosts): Let's get it out of the way. Yes, Kaoru Mitoma is a polite & handsome chap, he wrote his dissertation on dribbling, and is basically the most likable character in fantasy football history (bar AEG). And he was blatantly robbed of both a goal and an assist (via a penalty drawn), which cost us our title-deciding gameweek by the way. We get all of that. But it doesn't change the fact that the dynamic Japanese magi hasn't been the best ghoster. The plethora of attacking returns - 7 goals & 4 assists in just 16 starts - has somewhat blinded us to this fact.
Mitoma currently has a gpps of just over 7; juxtapose that with his colleague Solly March's 10 ghosties per start. His recent outing v Spurs pointed this out again: 1 Key Pass, 1 Successful Dribble, & 2 Aerials blunted by 5 dispossessions. Mitoma is partly so fun to watch because he constantly takes on defenders. But it comes at a cost - he can rack up dispossessions as a result. And he doesn't have any set pieces to help stem the tide. Again, we love him, he's an amazing player, and he should have had almost 22 points over the weekend rather than 1.5. But his ghost point flaws need to be taken into account when the next draft rolls around.
***Click here to view the full Ghost Point Tracker table!***
For all the latest from The Draft Society, follow @Draft_Society on Twitter!
And for more in-depth and exclusive resources, become a member of The Inner Circle.
Comments