Gameweek 25 Ghost Point Hunters: Draft EPL

Ryan Barnes
Feb 11
5 min read

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 25 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 25 Ghost Point Hunters

Chris Richards

Position: Defender

Team: Crystal Palace

Rostered: 10%

Ghost Points Per Start: 5.7

Ghost Points Last GW: 13.5

Prospects: We try not to duplicate but Chris Richards' ghosts were so nice, we're flagging him twice. The Palace defense has been full of points this season - at times, all of Munoz (best/most consistent by far), Mitchell, Lacroix, Gueye, Chalobah (RIP), and Richards have scored well. The South Londoners are 6th in clean sheets with 7 shutouts. More importantly for our purposes, the ghosts have also been there.

While Richards' scary scores look poor, his sub 6 GPPS is very misleading. Since the departure of Chalobah/his last 3 starts, he's been en fuego. He's averaging roughly 11 GPPS during this period. Most recently, Richards dropped 13+ v Man Utd. He did so by securing 4 Tackles Won, 2 Interceptions, 10 Clearances, 1 Blocked Shot, & 4 Aerials. With Chalobah out of the picture, these points should be somewhat consistent. He has a big test this weekend v Brentford but the American has a chance to be a set and forget DEF3 ROS.

Verdict: Pick him up!

Rodrigo Bentancur

Position: Midfielder

Team: Tottenham

Rostered: 12%

Ghost Points Per Start: 5.7

Ghost Points Last GW: 13.75

Prospects: The unfortunate recipient of numerous serious injuries, Rodrigo Bentancur pops up every now and again to show us he's a player, if fit. His ghost points have always been spotty but he does have it in his locker - especially in Ange ball when they're chasing and there's no one else left to attack. Bentancur's nearly 14 ghosties against Brentford came out of nowhere, stemming from 3 Key Passes, 2 Tackles Won, 2 Interceptions, 7 Clearances, 2 Successful Dribbles, & 2 Aerials. As another "analyst" might say, these are points from both sides of the ball.

Will this continue? Doubtful - Bentancur's rocking only 5.7 GPPS this season and last season (3.2 GPPS) was even worse - but it still might have some legs. Man United at home is a very tasty proposition at the moment. If you need a midfield streamer or late game cover, Rodrigo could be your guy.

Verdict: Pick him up if you need a late midfield streamer this week.

James Garner

Position: Midfielder

Team: Everton

Rostered: 25%

Ghost Points Per Start: N/A (first start)

Ghost Points Last GW: 11.75

Prospects: A dyed in the wool Dyche guy, James Garner was out during the manager's demise. Back under a new gaffer in David Moyes, the English midfielder could go from strength to strength. Despite not starting for months, he came back like he never left in GW24 and delivered double digit ghosts like it was nothing. Immediately reclaiming set pieces from poor Jesper Lindstrom (yes, this hurt us), Garner posted almost a dozen scary scores from 3 Key Passes, 1 Shot on Target, 1 Tackle Won, 1 Accurate Cross Not a Corner (ACNC), 1 Interception, 3 Clearances, & 2 Aerials. This all action performance has us thinking that this DGW play is now a ROS hold.

While a lot of Toffees ate in a beatdown of a woeful Ipswich Town at Goodison, we're inclined to think that this type of ghosting can continue for Garner, as the set pieces and through balls will combine with the dogged defensive stats. His over 7 GPPS in 23/24 is not great but still decent, and Moyes might get the best out of him and the rest of Everton. The second leg of the DGW beckons - a difficult Mersyside Derby - and will be a good test of this hypothesis. Regardless, we recommend holding and seeing how this plays out. Garner has MID3/4 upside ROS.

Verdict: Pick him up!

Not So Fast:

Julio Enciso (Ipswich Town MID; 10 ghosts): One of the more intriguing internal transfers in the January window was Brighton attacking midfielder, Julio Enciso, being shipped off to Ipswich Town on loan. He came straight into the team in GW24 and was fairly impressive, especially on the ghosting side. But we're not too moved. He can be fairly selfish, isn't a great finisher, and historically his ghosts are mediocre (6ish GPPS last season). This performance can largely be chalked up to the "Southampton Effect". If he can keep it up against other opposition, we'll hold up our hands. But we're highly skeptical.

One(s) To Watch:

Willy Boly (Nottingham Forest DEF; 1 ghost): Our ears perked up like a dog ready to go on a walk when we saw Big/Slick Willy Boly strut on to the pitch late on against Brighton last GW. Murillo hobbled off with an apparent knock, with the big fella coming on in his stead. He didn't do anything notable but if Murillo is out for any amount of time and Boly gets some starts, he's a must stream. His ghosting bonafides are legendary (he averaged 10 GPPS in 23/24 just as a reminder). Keep an eye on the injury news and the Forest lineup this weekend. And pounce if you see he's going to be on the teamsheet.
Amadou Onana (Aston Villa MID: 6.5 ghosts): The no-nonsense CDM has been out injured for a bit but he finally saw some time last GW, making a 45 min cameo and bagging over 6 ghosties in the process. He's a decent MID5 on his day but he's an especially attractive proposition in a DGW, which Villa have this GW as they face Ipswich and Liverpool. Given that he's just back fit, he may not start both. But if he gets the first against struggling Ipswich, he may be worth the punt, especially given how injury ridden Villa are. They need the help in the engine room. His ghosts have been just decent this season (6ish GPPS this season, but they were great - 9.5 GPPS - in 23/24). He also likes to score from set pieces. He's one of the few available DGW plays this week, but only if he's fit.

Category Killer Winners:

Key Passes: Amad Diallo (6)
Successful Dribbles: Julio Enciso (6)
Aerials: Paul Onuachu (16)
Accurate Crosses Not Corners (ACNCs): Mikkel Damsgaard (4)
Tackles Won: Moises Caicedo (5)
Interceptions: Milos Kerkez (5)

Dr. Peter Venkman Award:

Leandro Trossard (Arsenal MID; 1.5 ghosts): Given the injury crisis at Arsenal, Trossard is going to continue to be a fixture in the Arsenal starting XI. While he is one of the best finishers at the club - somewhat by default - he is also very frustrating to roster. He is the epitome of boom or bust, because he can nick attacking returns but his ghosting is lacking. Against Man City, he exhibited this trait once again, delivering 2 Clearances & 3 Successful Dribbles that were drowned out by 4 Dispossessions. This is par for the course for Tross. He is only mustering 6 GPPS this season and his prior campaign was even worse (5.3 GPPS). The Belgian is still worth starting, of course, but we might be inclined to deal him out after his next high, which could be against Leicester this weekend.