Gameweek 26 Ghost Point Hunters: Draft EPL

Ryan Barnes
Feb 19, 2025
6 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 26 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 26 Ghost Point Hunters

Ethan Nwaneri

Position: Midfielder

Team: Arsenal

Rostered: 63%

Ghost Points Per Start: N/A

Ghost Points Last GW: 22

Prospects: Wow, this kid is good. We have been saying it for a long time; now others are finally getting a glimpse of Ethan Nwaneri's talent. The 17 year old jewel of the Hale End Academy has been knocking on the door of the first team since he became the youngest ever to play in the EPL in 2022 at the tender age of15. He has since helped force out Emile Smith Rowe, Reiss Nelson, and Fabio Viera as Arteta decided to keep him in the first team this season and accelerate his development. No one could have predicted he'd get so much game time this campaign but here we are. Bukayo Saka going down with a nasty hamstring injury has fully opened the door and Nwaneri is grasping the opportunity with both hands. While he has made decent cameos in the Odegaard role, he has really shined in the RW role, where he started in GW25.

Against Leicester over the weekend, Nwaneri put in a man of the match performance and, more importantly for our purposes, delivered a gang of ghosties. He paired an assist with 2 Key Passes, 2 Shots on Target, 3 Tackles Won, 2 Accurate Crosses Not Corners (ACNCs), 1 Interception, 7 Successful Dribbles, & 2 Aerials. He took right sided corner kicks and was an absolute menace on the wing. The sky is the limit for Nwaneri and, fantasy wise, he can produce points in a multitude of ways, as one can see above. Yes, it was against Leicester and more difficult opponents lurk, but he has proven he can do it. While it remains to be seen what happens when Saka returns - of course, he will reclaim the RW spot - the youngster will prove difficult to bench at this rate. Regardless, make hay while the sun shines.

Verdict: Pick him up if available/your league mates don't watch football. If he isn't, try selling them on the fact that Saka will be back soon and open with something like Garner + a DEF4 (Timber).

Kamaldeen Sulemana

Position: Midfielder

Team: Southampton

Rostered: 2%

Ghost Points Per Start: N/A

Ghost Points Last GW: 10.25

Prospects: We were previously sold a bill of goods regarding Kamaldeen Sulemana. Touted as a successful dribble machine when he first hit Blighty's shores 2 seasons ago, he had a rough acclimation to the Premier League. Back in the Prem now after a season down in the Championship, he wants another shot. And we're nothing if not open minded.

He certainly looked good this past GW, scoring a goal along with some decent ghosts. Sulemana's double digit scary scores stemmed from 2 Shots on Target, 1 Tackle Won, 1 Clearance, 3 Successful Dribbles, & 1 Aerial. While it was one game and he still plays for a pretty toothless side, he seems to have adapted well to Juric's playing style and can offer some attacking threat in a pretty barren midfield waiver wire pool. Act accordingly.

Verdict: Pick him up if you need a high upside midfield streamer.

Sasa Lukic

Position: Midfielder

Team: Fulham

Rostered: 5%

Ghost Points Per Start: 6

Ghost Points Last GW: 20.75

Prospects: While we are skeptical of any Fulham CDM that isn't named Zambo Anguissa - RIP (he's alive and well, just playing in another league) - again, we keep our options open depending on a change in circumstances. And Sasa Lukic, the latest player to take over this role, certainly piqued our interest this GW. He was the top ghoster in GW25 with a mouthwatering 20+ scary scores. These came from an all action performance in attack and defense: 6 Key Passes, 1 Shot on Target, 1 Tackle Won, 2 Accurate Crosses Not Corners (ACNCs), 2 Interceptions, 1 Clearance, 1 Blocked Shot, & 2 Aerials.

These are incredible numbers but let's not go overboard just yet. Nothing has really changed here - Lukic just had an excellent game. In short, this screams aberration/one hit wonder and we need to see more. However, even if he isn't able to replicate these lofty numbers, if/when you are in a jam and/or Fulham has a DGW, he can do a job. Duly noted.

Verdict: Still not sold on him; want to see more consistent ghosting. But he's not a bad option if you get jammed up.

Not So Fast:

Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa MID; 12.75 ghosts): Is there a more maddening guy to roster? The Webster's dictionary definition of boom or bust, Rogers is unpredictable and anathema to ghosting. So when he popped up for over a dozen ghosties this past GW, we certainly did a double take. But we're not moved. This miraculous Casper sighting took place in the most optimal of settings - against a ten man Ipswich Town - where even Marcus Rashford, that erstwhile ghost point warrior, even put some ghosts on the board. This won't happen again. The sad fact is that Rogers' GPPS is below 6. And what was his cumulative score from the previous 3 games, you ask? Oh, that would be 2 points - yes, that's less than 1 PPS. Sell high.

One(s) To Watch:

Ben Chilwell (Crystal Palace DEF; 6.25 ghosts): A very long and sad decline for a promising young English left back, Chilly has a chance for redemption with a change of scenery. Leaving Chelsea for Crystal Palace in the January window, he made his first EPL cameo in South London as a substitute v Everton over the weekend. In just under 30 minutes, he impressed, delivering 1 Shot on Target, 1 Tackle Won, 5 Clearances, & 2 Aerials. This is a good sign, especially since he hasn't played a competitive game in ages. But can he fully supplant Tyrick Mitchell? We think he will, and we have seen that this Palace defense can produce ghosts and cleanies. Try to get him in.
Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton DEF; 10.25 ghosts): After coming of age under Sean Dyche in 23/24, Branthwaite's stock has slightly dipped. But he has temporarily put aside his very subpar season and an injury absence to thrive under new gaffer David Moyes. The English CB has averaged roughly 14 points per start in his past 4 starts. His highest score from his 4 prior starts was 5.25. He has shown that he can ghost in the right conditions (nearly 8 GPPS last season) so we can give him the benefit of the doubt. Let's see if this persists or the new manager bump subsides. But for now, he's a hold.

Category Killer Winners:

Key Passes: Sasa Lukic (6)
Successful Dribbles: Ethan Nwaneri (7)
Aerials: Beto (13)
Accurate Crosses Not Corners (ACNCs): Bilal El-Khannouss (4)
Tackles Won: Joe Aribo (6)
Interceptions: Jan Bednarek (8)

Dr. Peter Venkman Award:

Antonee Robinson (Fulham DEF; 2.5 ghosts): The American Jedi knight has had a blinder of a season and should be scooped up by a top club soon. In the meantime, fantasy managers are loving their respective punts on Antonee Robinson in the draft. He's currently boasting 13 PPS and is the highest scoring defender in the game. However, he had a stinker this past GW, where he could only muster 2.5 ghosts from 1 Tackle Won, 2 Clearances, & 1 Aerial. We aren't too worried about Antonee or his ghosting prowess. He still commands over10 GPPS and can be forgiven a rare poor performance v a tough opponent. We'll monitor but this shouldn't be anything to worry about. Did we just jinx him?