Gameweek 4 Ghost Point Hunters: Draft EPL

Ryan Barnes
Sep 18, 2024
7 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 4 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 4 Ghost Point Hunters

That was a strange gameweek. Some monsters were tamed and some unheralded players hauled. Let's try and make sense of it. Heading into GW5, we're shining the bright lights on Dara O'Shea, Carlos Baleba, and Mario Lemina. We then give Justin Kluivert & Amad Diallo the Not So Fast treatment, with Axel Tuanzebe and (King) Kai Havertz as the One(s) To Watch. Finally, a promoted player, Stephy Mavididi, gets rewarded for his debut goal in the big leagues with a Dr. Peter Venkman Award. Congrats, you've made it!

Dara O'Shea

Position: Defender

Team: Ipswich Town

Rostered: 1%

Ghost Points Per Start: 17.5 (only 1 start)

Ghost Points Last GW: 17.5

Prospects: If you know, you know. And we know. The big Irishman featured numerous times in these pages last season when he was ghosting for Burnley (9 Ghost Points Per Start in 23/24 for the Clarets). Recently signed to Ipswich, we were excited about O'Shea but also a bit measured given that the Tractor Boys already have a ghosting CB in the form of Jacob Greaves, and there are only so many points to go around.

Well, Dara's debut put paid to those concerns, as he posted an absurd 17.5 scary scores against Brighton: 2 Tackles Won, 4 Interceptions, 6 Clearances, 4 Blocked Shots, & 6 Aerials. The big question, as usual, is...can he keep this up or is this a one off? We have arguments for both sides. His ghosts from last season prove that he has it in his locker to consistently score well. And Ipswich seems to have a tighter backline than 23/24 Burnley (an admittedly low bar) and the defensive scoring changes helps players like O'Shea. On the other side, everyone seems to have ghosted against a very lively Brighton (the aforementioned Greaves & others also did well) and this is just one piece of data. We want to see more. Greaves could still cannibalize some of Dara's ghosties and vice versa. Let's see how the next few GWs go before making any conclusions. Having said all that, he's well worth the punt given the upside.

Verdict: Pick him up!

Carlos Baleba

Position: Midfielder

Team: Brighton

Rostered: 10%

Ghost Points Per Start: 10.3

Ghost Points Last GW: 13

Prospects: There has a been a lot of buzz around Brighton midfielders in the early part of the season. But none of that has been in reference to Carlos Baleba. He has been ever so quietly producing ghosts early doors. This past GW, he posted over a dozen scary scores from 1 Key Pass, 1 Shot on Target, 2 Tackles Won, 4 Successful Dribbles, & 2 Aerials. This is an excellent all around performance, which bodes well for the future.

It technically isn't a one off as he also put in a decent shift v Arsenal the previous GW with 7.5 ghosts. In difficult matchups, Baleba can pitch in with defensive stats. And in better ones - such as the last matchup v Ipswich - he can go forward and even nick some attacking returns (he was unlucky to do so over the weekend). At the end of the day, he's still more of a defensive midfielder, but given the dearth of midfielders this season, he is worth the benefit of the doubt and has the ability to serve as a MID3/MID4 ROS if he can nail down that spot when everyone is healthy (a big ask). In the meantime, stream away and hope for the best.

Verdict: Pick him up!

Mario Lemina

Position: Midfielder

Team: Wolves

Rostered: 18%

Ghost Points Per Start: 8.9

Ghost Points Last GW: 13

Prospects: Wow, where did that come from? Yes, we know that Mario Lemina can pop up for a random haul every now and again - usually before reverting to type. But the engine room conductor not only delivered a gang of ghosts, which we'll get to later, but also passed the eye test in what seemed to be a more advanced role v Newcastle in GW4. He was often playing more forward than Matheus Cunha at times, which is why he was in position to tap in a beautiful team goal in the first half. But back to the ghosts. Lemina dropped 13 of them, which stemmed from 2 Key Passes, 1 Tackle Won, 1 Accurate Cross No Corners (ACNC), 2 Interceptions, 2 Successful Dribbles, & 2 Aerials.

We want to temper expectations given that, again, Lemina has these monster games in his locker but has lacked consistency. The proof is in the pudding as he finished last season with a meh 6.3 GPPS. However, we are still excited. His GPPS this campaign is up around 9 and he has shown an eye for goal. We have to reiterate the complete lack of midfield depth this season, which further inflates his value. Wolves have a tough schedule, but he should be at the heart of both defensive and attacking activity for the Black Country club. He'll do a job in your midfield ROS.

Verdict: Pick him up!

Not So Fast:

Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth MID; 11.75 ghosts): We have to admit it - we've been surprised by the Dutchman. This continued against Chelsea in GW4 with Kluivert hoovering up nearly a dozen ghosts: 1 Key Pass, 2 Shots on Target, 1 Tackle Won, 2 Interceptions, 1 Clearance, & 1 Aerial. He currently boasts a GPPS of over 9. Is he now a different entity? It's safe to say that Kluivert's not been on our Christmas card list; his ghosts have been nonexistent. He had an abysmal 4.2 GPPS in 23/24, near the bottom of the entire league. So while he could be a changed man given his start to this season, we're reserving our judgement for now.
Amad Diallo (Manchester United MID; 17.5 ghosts): One of the community's favorite sleeper picks coming into this season's draft, Diallo has not disappointed. Other than being dropped to the bench for one game, he has produced the goods. And he saved his best performance for the most recent matchup over the weekend. His mouthwatering 17+ ghosties were the end results of 6 Key Passes, 1 Shot on Target, 3 Tackles Won, & 1 Aerial. DIallo combined the scary scores with a cheeky assist.

So what's not to like? Well, similar to "lads, it's Tottenham", this came against the worst team in the league and fantasy punching bag, Southampton. So this must be taken with a grain or more of salt. His other two starts only resulted in 5 and 6 ghosts, respectively. Given that and the continued possibility of missing some starts with Garnacho waiting in the wings, let's pump the breaks a bit. He'll continue to be a good asset and overperform his draft position. But it might be time to sell high.

One(s) To Watch:

Kai Havertz (Arsenal FWD: 12.25 ghosts): We're so proud of him. He got stuck in, ran his socks off, and did the dirty work. And the gritty ghosts followed: 8 Aerials (winning the vast majority of his duels), 5 Clearances, 1 Tackle Won, & 1 Interception (on top of the more typical 2 Shots on Target & 1 Successful Dribble). Kai showed us a different aspect of his ghost point game - the defensive side. This bodes well moving forward. Even if his attacking stats aren't flowing (and they will in most matchups), he can get us points defensively. For us, Kai's a buy high before going even higher - after Man City away this weekend, he has lowly Leicester & Southampton at home. Break the bank to get him in before then.
Axel Tuanzebe (Ipswich Town DEF; 10.75 ghosts): We definitely didn't think that the former Man Utd utility youth defender would make it into GPH this season. No, we didn't have that on our bingo card. But let's discuss why he is. It's easy, Tuanzebe has been ghosting. He didn't miss out on the ghost party against Brighton, putting up nearly 11 of his own, which came from 1 Key Pass, 2 Tackles Won, 1 Interception, 7 Clearances, 1 Successful Dribble, 1 Blocked Shot, & 2 Aerials.

We don't want to take too much away from that Ipswich defensive performance against Brighton - again, everyone got theirs. And going all in on a promoted team's defense is usually not a sound fantasy strategy. But the thing is that Tuanzebe has shown other signs that he might be for real. His 7.3 GPPS is decent but certainly not spectacular. It is dragged down, however, by the two matchups v heavyweights Liverpool and Man City. In the GW before last, against Fulham - a more relevant case study - he dropped ten ghosties. With a tasty matchup against Saints this weekend and with all the attention on Greaves and O'Shea, you can still get in on the action via this guy.

Category Killer Winners:

Key Passes: Amad Diallo (6)
Successful Dribbles: Gabriel Martinelli (6)
Aerials: Kai Havertz (8)
Accurate Crosses Not Corners (ACNCs): Lucas Digne (3)
Tackles Won: Alex Moreno (6)
Interceptions: Virgil Van Dijk (6)

Dr. Peter Venkman Award:

Stephy Mavididi (Leicester City FWD; 1.5 ghosts): Coming into the draft, fantasy hipsters had this guy - and other potential gems from promoted teams - on their draft boards, next to their clove cigarettes and miller high life. Mavididi scored well in the Championship and seemed an exciting prospect. But he has been a surprise omission from the starting lineup in Leicester's first 3 games. He finally got his first start over the weekend and he bagged a goal (but really nothing else). He finished with 10.5 points with a goal; again, you get 11 points for a goal (9 for the goal and 2 points for the Shot on Target). This is a tough thing to do. Mavididi did it by pairing that with 1 Successful Dribble and 3 Dispossessions. So between the lack of starts and the sheer lack of ghosts, we're not excited by this guy at all. Leave him on the waiver wire.