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 17 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 17 Ghost Point Hunters
It's midfield madness over here at GPH headquarters. Admittedly, we tend to go overboard with streaming defenders. But we have some material to work with in the engine room this week. So let's get to it. On the big board, we have Dango Outtara, Tommy Doyle, & Mikel Merino. We saw Pape Sarr & Vlad Coufal and immediately thought Not So Fast; on the other hand, we concluded that Harvey Elliott & Julio Enciso are One(s) To Watch. And we finally saw the air come out of Mikkel Damsgaard's balloon as he more than warranted the Dr. Peter Venkman Award based on his abysmal GW16 performance.
Dango Ouattara
Position: Midfielder
Team: Bournemouth
Rostered: 30%
Ghost Points Per Start: 8.4
Ghost Points Last GW: 19.25
Prospects: We've been waiting for Dango to be unleashed (no, I'm not gonna use the obvious reference) for a long time. After some very successful bench cameos, he finally started and played a full 90 minutes no less against West Ham last GW. And, boy, did he seize the opportunity with both hands. He nearly eclipsed 20 ghost points, narrowly missing out on a full house (1 Successful Dribble away from getting at least one of each statistical category): 3 Key Passes, 2 Shots on Target, 2 Tackles Won, 2 Accurate Crosses Not Corners (ACNCs), 1 Interception, 1 Clearance, 2 Blocked Shots, and 4 Aerials.
The only knock on Ouattara has just been a lack of minutes. Indeed, he has only started 5 games this campaign. But with fellow wide man Marcus Tavernier injured and games coming thick and fast during the festive season, he should see a fair amount of starts in the next few GWs at least. And hopefully he can continue to bypass early substitutions. He is likely already gone in super competitive leagues - if he is, try offering some FAB - but if he's available, snap him up. Midfield upside like this is very hard to come by.
Verdict: Pick him up!
Tommy Doyle
Position: Midfielder
Team: Wolves
Rostered: 1%
Ghost Points Per Start: 3.9
Ghost Points Last GW: 8.75
Prospects: A former Man City academy man, Tommy Doyle has found himself in the Black Country at Wolves. While he has shown glimpses, he has yet to really put together a string of consistent performances. He's also yet to find his place in the team, which is already chock full of hybrid central midfielders. But with new manager, Vitor Pereira, coming in, he could find a new lease on life.
Doyle used the second half of Gary O'Neil's final match as an audition, racking up 8+ scary scores in his brief cameo, pumping in 7 crosses and finishing with 2 Key Passes, 1 Shot on Target, 2 Tackles Won, 1 Clearance, and 1 Blocked Shot. He also took some set pieces, which could continue, especially if Matheus Cunha gets a lengthy suspension as is expected. If Tommy Boy can impress the new gaffer and nail down a position in this side, he has a chance to be a viable MID4/MID5.
Verdict: Pick him up if he starts this weekend in a decent matchup v leaky Leicester.
Mikel Merino
Position: Midfielder
Team: Arsenal
Rostered: 43%
Ghost Points Per Start: 7.2
Ghost Points Last GW: 8.75
Prospects: Hyped up as a proper successor to Granit Xhaka on the left side of Arsenal's midfield, it's been slow going for Mikel Merino so far in North London. It didn't help that he immediately got injured on arrival in his first training session. After his return, he has looked a little off the pace, which is to be expected given his lack of familiarity with the frenetic nature of the Premier League. He is starting to find his footing, however, game by game. He put in a tidy performance in his most recent outing v Everton, getting close to double digits by delivering 2 Key Passes, 1 Shot on Target, 1 ACNC, 1 Clearance, 1 Successful Dribble, & 2 Aerials.
The Spaniard still faces some potential rotation issues but with Rice nursing a knock and an uptick in form, he could make the LCM spot his own in the coming weeks. This is more of a long term play for us but hopefully Merino also starts v Palace over the weekend. He seems to have a decent floor with the added attacking upside, especially as he gets more minutes in the system and adjusts to the Premier League.
Verdict: Pick him up if available.
Not So Fast:
Pape Sarr (Tottenham MID; 18.5 ghosts): The mercurial midfielder had his time in the sun last season, putting in some decent fantasy performances for long stretches. But it hasn't really happened for him this season as he's been rotated and in relatively poor form. One good outing v the worst team in the league, one in which everyone on Spurs ate, is not enough to move us. Despite this monster, he still only boasts a PPS of 6.6 GPPS. With Liverpool coming to town this GW, we'll pass.
Vladimir Coufal (West Ham United DEF; 17.25 ghosts): The Czech right back used to be a dangerous commodity, whipping in crosses and nicking assists. But he's been over the hill for a while now. A mini-renaissance against Bournemouth, which was very kind to all West Ham defenders this past GW, doesn't change the face that his GPPS is under 7, he is second choice, and his previous high score this season was 7. No thanks.
One(s) To Watch:
Harvey Elliott (Liverpool MID; 6 ghosts): This guy has been a wunderkind for what seems like a decade now. It's always almost his time. Fantasy-wise, he has posted some monster scores over the years but has never been close to nailed on. And we have not been able to see yet how fits into the Slot machine, as he has yet to start a Premier League game this campaign (although he did score midweek in the Carabao Cup). But he's back fit and ready for a chance to shine. In his ten minute cameo v Fulham, he balled out, taking some set pieces and nicking 2 Key Passes, 1 Tackle Won, &1 Accurate Cross Not A Corner (ACNC). He could get a start or two during the hectic festive season; worth a punt in the off-chance that he does.
Julio Enciso (Brighton MID; 10 ghosts): The Paraguayan is similar to Elliott in the sense that he's long been the next big thing. But after some bright displays under the former manager, he has largely been frozen out by Hurzeler. So much so that a loan move in January has been rumored. Well, he was in the shop window for 45 minutes over the weekend. Coming on at halftime in a putrid Brighton performance v rivals Crystal Palace, he was a lone bright spot, producing 1 Key Pass, 3 Shots on Target, & 3 Successful Dribbles. This has some excited about his prospects. And while we're also intrigued, we harbor a healthy skepticism of these Brighton fringe players. It hasn't happened for any of them, really: Kadioglu, Weiffer, O'Riley, Adingra and Minteh (other than a promising opening few fixtures). We'll hold off for now.