GW5 Waiver Wire Targets

Defenders

Jayden Bogle - 40% - Leeds

The standout scorer of the group, and still available in a good chunk of leagues. 15.94 per start is over the first 4 weeks is elite, capped by a 26.75 haul in GW4. Currently top 10 on the season, but the one caveat is that only 40% of his points are ghost, so he leans on the attacking returns (2 goals already) more than the pure ghost merchants below him. That said, Bogle is spending an awful lot of time in the opponents penalty box, often joining the attack from his RWB position. Bogle's average position against Newcastle was similar to Okafor on the other side - and Okafor was playing left wing. Up next is Palace at home.

Ryan Giles - 45% - Hull

If Bogle is the ceiling play, Giles is the floor play. 7.88 ghost points a game and 15+ points in 3 games, all built on the crosses and key passes (6 already) from that Hull left side. This is as close to set and forget as the wire offers. Newcastle concede the most shots in the Premier League so far this season, so there will be lots of Key Pass opportunities for Giles.

Vitalii Mykolenko - 41% - Everton

The best ghost defender on this list so far this season. 8.38 ghost points a start is the 14th best ghost point return for Defenders so far this season. 90 minutes locked in every single week with zero rotation worry. Ipswich at home in GW5 is exactly the game you claim him for, a genuine clean sheet on the table against a promoted side still finding its feet. The downside is there is limited attacking upside to bail you out, but for nailed minutes, pure ghost and a matchup like this, he is a lovely add and an easy start. Good fixture, safe profile.

Murillo - 37% - Forest

Same lovely fixture as Delap further down, from the other end of the pitch. 7.00 ghost points and Coventry at home, a side on a four-game slide that just shipped five to Brighton, hands him a real clean sheet shout on top of the usual DefCon he racks up anyway. Forest look to be finding their feet under Glasner, and we typically want a piece of a Glasner defence in Fantrax.

Leif Davis - 31% - Ipswich

The gamble of the group. Davis is an attacking full-back first, so only 27% of his points are ghost and his floor can vanish on a quiet week. What you are looking for is the ceiling, a 27.50 haul already this season when the goals and assists land, plus nailed 90-minute minutes. With 4 goal contributions already, he is almost at his 24/25 tally (5) for the entire season. He is available at 31%, and in a boom-or-bust slot he is a fine roll of the dice. I would be far higher on Leif if his Ghost/Start were even just slightly higher (currently 3.13).

Other Targets

Antonio Silva - 28% - Bournemouth - Pure ghost and cheap to acquire, but a tough fixture up next against Liverpool.
Olivier Boscagli - 47% - Brighton - Seven key passes on the season, and has scored well. Concern about his longer term value and a very tough game at home to Arsenal in GW5.
Lewis Dunk - 20% - Brighton - Another with a tough fixture against Arsenal - but has been quietly reliable as ever. Don't expect him to score 25+ yard screamers each week though!

Midfielders

Malick Yalcouye - 56% - Brighton

Highly owned likely gone in your league already but after another big scoring week we had to highlight him. You have one more week with a guaranteed start, albeit a tough spot against Arsenal. With Yalcouye covering the 10 while Hinshelwood is out, and Hinshelwood is due back after the international break, uncertainty will reign after GW5. I would still grab him if he is dropped, and there will be drops, but temper the ceiling talk this week. Bad fixture, big talent, slightly shaky role.

Jack Rudoni - 19% - Coventry

The best ghost pointer available in this whole article on the season to date. Nobody here ghosts like Rudoni, 9.67 ghost points per start, 8 key passes through the early weeks and splitting corners with Grimes. At 19% owned he is sat there in most leagues. There are two big cons with Rudoni: He only plays around 68 minutes every game, and Coventry are a mess as a team right now, shipping five to Brighton and away to Forest this week. The saving grace is that his points come from his own set-piece and creative work, not from Coventry playing well, so I can stomach the cons. Lots of interest in owning, but on a very short lead. Bad matchup, but grab him anyway.

Daichi Kamada - 41% - Palace

The steady one after the two names above him, and there is a case he is the safer target of the three. Kamada is nailed on in a way Yalcouye and Rudoni are not, with none of the rotation or role worries. Since Sage moved Kamada into the 10 there has been more end product with three assists and six key passes already. Leeds (A) next.

Other Targets

Regan Slater - 10% - Hull - Newcastle (A), neutral. Genuinely available, plays the full 90 and sits on the corners, though the ceiling is capped around 12.
Oscar Bobb - 54% - Fulham - Man United (H), neutral. All ghost and welded to the corners (10 taken), but the raw scores are low and he is mostly owned already.

Forwards

Ibrahim Mbaye - 51% - Aston Villa

I had figured Mbaye had far higher ownership than 51%, but here we are. All we have so far is a 27-minute cameo in GW4 that returned 5 points, so we are buying the hope the role is his rather quickly. If he nails down the minutes quickly he could be a season-long forward on a team that will create (and desperately in need of creators), which is why he is worth the claim before that happens rather than after. The cons are obvious, no starts yet, and can't score derby coming up (Spurs away) is a tough game to be handed your first one. A speculative number one, but the upside is the whole point.

Liam Delap - 49% - Forest

My sense with Delap is that we may be in for an Ipswich Delap season, rather than a Chelsea Delap season. He looked fantastic in the game against Villa, and scored an excellent goal with a second ruled out for offside. Delap has ghosted well enough for a forward, and given that Delap is playing Coventry next you could be in for a points treat. Go ahead and pick up Delap and start him with confidence against Coventry.

Emersonn - 53% - Ipswich

A good week, a bad week, and repeat. All part of the fun with forwards. I would much rather run with Emersonn than a Solanke or Igor Jesus, both who have much higher ownership. Emersonn seems to know how to score, and can put up a few ghost points on the way to doing so. Everton (A) is not a terrible matchup, and as long as he can recover from his "quad tightness" would be a good roll of the dice.

Other Targets

Charalampos Kostoulas - 41% - Brighton - Arsenal (H). Decent points per start, but Arsenal and a returning Rutter make him a short-term punt at best.
Jorgen Strand Larsen - 31% - Palace - Leeds (A). Scored a lovely goal and looked lively throughout against Ipswich, could do worse than Larsen v Leeds.
Alysson - 1% - Aston Villa - Spurs (A), speculative. 1% owned but scored this past weekend for Villa. If he is starting, I would be tempted on taking a flyer on Alysson. Looked fantastic in the Super Cup against PSG.
Zian Flemming - 11% - Ipswich - Everton (A), speculative. Yet to start, a deep-league watch rather than a claim, would be an interesting option if Emersonn cannot recover from his injury.