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Gameweek 13 Ghost Point Hunters: Fantrax EPL

Writer's picture: Ryan BarnesRyan Barnes

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 13 Ghost Point Hunters article is here to help!

Pedro Neto ghosting

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 13 Ghost Point Hunters

Hurrah, we're emerging from the final international break until March and approaching the frantic festive season. It's a good time to assess the supernatural and plan accordingly. In that vein, we've taken notice of these three (2 of which are Gunners; we love our job): Gabriel Martinelli, Oleksandr Zinchenko, & Conor Gallagher. The Honorable Mention section, meanwhile, rewards the hard graft of Lerma, Ait-Nouri, Pinnock, & Christie. And we stay in North London - the dodgy end - for the Dr. Peter Venkman Award, which goes to Dejan Kulusevski. Tis the giving season.


Gabriel Martinelli

Position: Midfielder

Team: Arsenal

Rostered: 100%

Ghost Points Per Start: 8.4

Ghost Points Last GW: 13

Prospects: After a somewhat slow start, the Brazilian is starting to cook. The attacking returns are still missing but he is ghosting enough to more than make up for that, and the goals/assists will come. Playing without Nketiah - no offense - has been a tonic for Martinelli, and his compatriot Gabriel Jesus is due to return. With a tasty schedule to boot, he should go from strength to strength.

Verdict: Trade him in now - try a 1:1 with Szoboslai or Mitoma, or package a MID2+DEF4 (Kudus+Mykolenko).


We can't hide it, we love this kid. The slaloming dribbles, the incessant work rate, the youthful hubris, we love us some Gabriel Martinelli. He has had some knocks over the past few years, but when fit, he's a player. He didn't really burst onto the scene until the 21/22 season, nailing down a role and starting 21 games, boasting a PPS of nearly a dozen. The following campaign, he boosted his PPS to over 13. His overall production has dipped a little this season; Martinelli is currently delivering roughly 10 PPS. The entire Arsenal attack thus far has not been as prolific so it is no surprise that the Brazilian hasn't posted as many attacking returns as expected. But that should change for the better - and he has been a ghost point machine of late, which makes up for the relative lack of goals and assists.


Ghost point-wise, Martinelli has been decent, boasting a GPPS of around 8 in his past three seasons. His 8.4 GPPS this campaign is a slight increase in what we've come to anticipate. He thrives off successful dribbles, isn't afraid to have a pop at goal, and has the ability to quickly accumulate Key Passes & ACNCs - he takes left sided corners, which helps provide a slight floor. While he has always been ok on the ghosting side, Martinelli has been a man possessed in that department over the past few games, averaging over a dozen scary scores in the past 3 games. He kept up the ghosting last time out v Burnley, posting 13 scary scores, stemming from 2 Key Passes, 1 Shot on Target, 1 Tackle Won, 4 Accurate Crosses Not Corners (ACNCs), 2 Successful Dribbles, & 2 Aerials. Yes, the past three have included matchups against lowly Sheffield United & Burnley, but two of these games also were sans Eddie Nketiah, who doesn't seem to jive as well with Martinelli. The imminent return of Gabriel Jesus will relegate Eddie back to the bench and should help keep this ghost point purple patch going, especially with this run of fixtures. He may revert to the mean after this hot streak but he may not, and the attacking returns will come. Look out.


Oleksandr Zinchenko

Position: Defender

Team: Arsenal

Rostered: 97%

Ghost Points Per Start: 6.1

Ghost Points Last GW: 17.25

Prospects: Arteta has started to rotate at LB a bit with Tomiyasu regaining full fitness. But Zinchenko should get most starts, especially against weaker opposition, which is who Arsenal face in the next few fixtures: Brentford, Wolves, Luton Town. The Ukrainian should crack on from here and nick some hauls over the following GWs.

Verdict: Try opening with a MID5+DEF4 package (two border-line droppable players; e.g., Garner+Collins) or wait until after Brentford (likely a lower score or potential rotation).


Unlike his teammate above, fantasy-wise, we've never really cared for Oleksandr Zinchenko. Often, he fails to rack up many defensive or offensive stats, as his inverted role includes a lot of mid-range passing that doesn't translate into fantasy points. His low GPPS (just above 6 since joining Arsenal) bears that out. This is all fine and good, but his name recognition inflates his value - he consistently goes higher in the draft than he should - which is what slightly annoys us.


Having said all that, Zinny had himself a day in GW12 and can let the good times roll over the next few fixtures, which include Brentford, Wolves, & Luton Town. Against Burnley, the Ukrainian coupled a karate kick volley goal with a bag of ghosties - 17.25 to be exact - which he extracted from 1 Key Pass, 1 Shot on Target, 3 Tackles Won, 2 Accurate Crosses Not Corners (ACNCs), 1 Clearance, 1 Successful Dribble, & 7 Aerials. As mentioned above, Zinchenko is not an innate ghoster and this is likely an aberration. But he can drop monsters like this, especially when he is looked upon to open up a low block, which is what happened against Burnley. He should keep his place for the upcoming run and has a chance to pair a clean sheet or two with more of these priceless scary scores. Plan to utilize Zinny during this run and then try to sell on a high (put that name recognition/inflated value to good use).


Conor Gallagher

Position: Midfielder

Team: Chelsea

Rostered: 93%

Ghost Points Per Start: 8.6

Ghost Points Last GW: 11

Prospects: The blonde locks are emitting Samson-like powers in the Chelsea midfield of late. Gallagher is riding high and ghosting well in his more advanced position. But will he be forced to play deeper or even rotate with the return of Nkunku?

Verdict: Trade high - shoot for a better asset currently undervalued (e.g., Odegaard, Neto, etc).


It's been an interesting journey for goldilocks, aka Conor Gallagher. A Chelsea academy kid who actually ends up playing significant minutes for Chelsea? The guy's a unicorn. After successful loan stints at West Brom & Crystal Palace - the latter, especially, was a match made in heaven, with the marauding midfielder bagging 11 G/A for the South London outfit. His parent club rewarded Gallagher by trying to offload him this summer, flirting with Michael Olise & others before settling on keeping him at the Bridge.


And Gallagher has repaid this begrudging faith, serving as an all purpose midfielder directing a depleted attack. While he has yet to hit the back of the net, he has 4 assists. Ghost point wise, he historically hovers around 7 GPPS (7.6 in 21/22 & 6.3 last season). But under Pochettino, he is significantly outperforming those ghost point metrics. Last GW, he posted double digit ghosts again. His 11 scary scores from from the following: 2 Key Passes, 2 Shots on Target, 2 Tackles Won, & 1 Successful Dribble. Gallagher's role in this team is clearly leading to these elevated ghosts.


But will it continue? We'd advise hedging here. The young Englishman's versatility means he can play anywhere in the engine room, which may end up being his fantasy downfall. New boy Nkunku will surely nail down an attacking spot when fit, which is due to be soon, so who loses out? While the front 4 of Sterling, Gallagher, Palmer, & Jackson has paid dividends of late, Nkunku will displace one of them. Gallagher is unlikely to be relegated to the bench given his impressive performances but he could be forced to play further back, which would likely dent his fantasy prospects. He will continue to be a good midfield asset but our instinct says trade high.


Honorable Mention:

  • Jefferson Lerma (Crystal Palace MID; 17 ghosts): The Palace CDMs are maddening - he & Cheick are capable of dropping 15+ ghosts one GW & blanking the next. If you can somehow time it right, they are gamechangers. The problem is, it's nearly impossible. Keep rolling the dice on Lerma & hope for the best.

  • Rayan Ait-Nouri (Wolves DEF; 15.75 ghosts): RAN is another one who struggles for consistency. But he is trending upward after a tasty outing v Spuds. With Fulham and some set pieces in his future, he's a top streamer this GW.

  • Ethan Pinnock (Brentford DEF; 15.5 ghosts): The big guy is back. Pinnock is back to delivering ghosts week in and week out. He's averaging over 11 scary scores per start and shows no signs of slowing down.

  • Ryan Christie (Bournemouth MID; 15 ghosts): Yet another fantasy asset who is largely hit or miss, Christie showed out this past GW v Newcastle. With a tasty schedule forthcoming, starting this GW against Sheffield United, he and other Cherry attackers are worth punts. Fingers crossed.


Category Killers:

  • Key Passes: James Ward Prowse (5)

  • Successful Dribbles: John McGinn (7)

  • Aerials: Jefferson Lerma (8)

  • Accurate Crosses Not Corners (ACNCs): Lucas Digne (4)

  • Tackles Won: Lewis Hall (4)

  • Interceptions: Jefferson Lerma (5)


Dr. Peter Venkman Award:

Dejan Kulusevski (Tottenham Hotspur MID; 1 ghost): When Dejan Kulusevski came over from Serie A in January of 2022, he flew a little under the radar. But the southpaw quickly hit the ground running for Conte, fillin up the stat sheet enroute to a 14+ PPS in that condensed season. He leveled off at 9.5 PPS last campaign and is now hovering between 9 & 10PPS. The difference comes down to attacking returns - as his ghosts, or lack thereof, have been consistent throughout. Kulu's GPPS has been just over 7 throughout his time in the EPL and is currently 7.5. Given his position as a winger/creator, one would expect a bit more but he just doesn't go beyond 7ish ghosts per start, which is decent but nothing to write home about. Most recently, he showed his anti-Casper bonafides, dropping one single solitary ghost against Wolves, with1 Key Pass &1 Aerial dented by 3 Dispossessions. Kulu had a chance to step up and take over some of the creative thrust vacated by the Maddison injury. But he failed to do so. His rosterers better hope he ups his attacking return game because the ghosts aren't likely to put him over the top as a prime asset.


***Click here to view the full Ghost Point Tracker table!***


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