RADIO
Welcome to the 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League season, RotoBallers! The team has given you the team previews ahead of the new season, and now it's time for the position preview. Today, we kick things off by looking at players between the posts: goalkeepers.
Jordan Pickford topped the goalkeeper charts last season, but it was a year where we saw a massive spike in goals. The added injury time to the first and second halves seemingly greatly affected clean sheets. While it makes clean sheets more rare, it could signal a new era where we don't need to value them as much. It'll be interesting to see whether this trend continues into the 2024/25 campaign or if managers can adjust to the added time in the game and batten down the hatches during the closing stages.
The first deadline of the 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League season is August 16 at 1:30 p.m. EDT, when Manchester United welcomes Fulham to open the campaign. Also, check out the rest of our excellent soccer coverage as the squad gets you all set for every English Premier League slate and UEFA Champions League game with our EPL DFS lineup picks and betting picks.
FPL Position Previews: Goalkeepers
Depending on your philosophy, the goalkeeper spots can be the most straightforward or trickiest position in Fantasy Premier League. Going with the premium assets will cost you at the outfield position, but trying to find those discounts could leave you open to a clean sheet wipeout. Remember to check out the other position and team previews the rest of the RotoBaller squad has written.
Last Season's Goalkeeper Stats
- Most FPL points: Jordan Pickford, Everton - 153 points
- Most saves: Andre Onana, Man United - 149 saves
- Most clean sheets: David Raya, Arsenal - 16 clean sheets
- Most bonus points: Jordan Pickford, Everton - 22 bonus points
Over the seasons, what is your general strategy regarding goalkeepers in FPL?
- Euan Leith: I'm usually a big advocate for saving money at the goalkeeper position. I avoid the £5.5M shot-stoppers at all costs and try to find a £4.5M gem before the season starts. Last year, I started the year with Jordan Pickford but got impatient and sold him on my Wildcard. If I had kept him between the sticks all season, I would've ended up with the highest-scoring goalkeeper in the league. So patience and value are two things I'm looking at for the upcoming year.
- Jamie Steed: The one thing I always focus on is having goalkeepers paired with defenders. Given ‘keepers are only going to score you points if they make multiple saves or keep a clean sheet, it makes sense to try and maximize those clean sheet points. Clean sheets are becoming harder to find, so I make sure I have one discount goalkeeper, too, so I can better utilize the remaining budget elsewhere.
What's your favorite FPL price reveal for goalkeepers?
- Euan: I love Nick Pope's price at £5.0M. I hoped to get greedy and grab him at £4.5M, but the game has priced players well this season. Newcastle doesn't have any European contests this season, and they were prolific two seasons ago when they only had the Premier League to focus on, and it resulted in a fourth-place finish. With a healthy Pope and a not-so-fatigued defense, I expect the Magpies to improve on the defensive side of the pitch drastically.
- Jamie: David Raya (£5.5M) is priced like Alisson Becker and Ederson. Despite only starting 32 EPL games last season, Raya won the golden glove, and Arsenal’s only addition so far this pre-season has been to bolster their defense. The trio all missed time last season, but Raya comfortably outscored them both. If you are going with an Arsenal defender in your squad, Raya at that price makes plenty of sense.
What's your least favorite FPL price reveal for goalkeepers?
- Euan: From a game strategy point of view, it's probably Caoimhin Kelleher (£4.5M) for Liverpool. The admins got it right when they priced Stefan Ortega (£5.5M) at the same price as Ederson (£5.5M) at Man City. It should be the same way for all the top clubs. If Alisson Becker (£5.5M) has a surprise transfer to Saudi Arabia late in the window or gets injured, Kelleher will break the game. Backups at top clubs should be priced the same as the starter.
- Jamie: Nick Pope at £5.0M. I hoped his injury and Newcastle’s shoddy defense last season would see him drop into the £4.5M range. There’s no way Newcastle concede the number of goals they did last season, but I’d rather go with someone from the cheaper range or Raya at those prices.
Among the £5.5M-priced goalkeepers, who are you most likely to have in your Gameweek 1 squad?
- Euan: After my rant-like soliloquy about Kelleher's price, I quite fancy Alisson's price point. In the preseason fixtures, Liverpool looks much less chaotic than the Jurgen Klopp era. The Reds are building from the back and want to control the game more. Less chaos comes less unpredictability, which should create more clean sheets for Alisson.
- Jamie: As mentioned, I’d rather go with Raya. My only issue is the number of attacking options Arsenal has, and I’d be limiting myself to one midfielder or forward from the Gunners. It feels like it’d be more likely to pair either Allison or Ederson with a defensive teammate, so there’s some jiggling about still to be done for me.
Who is your favorite £5.0M goalkeeper for the 2024/25 FPL campaign?
- Euan: If it's not broken, don't fix it. Jordan Pickford led all keepers with 153 points last year in his first season under Sean Dyche and the Dycheball system. I'm not expecting Pickford to lead the league in scoring again, but it's a set-and-forget, steady-Eddy pick that is very safe with a high floor. Nick Pope is a close second, but I want to see a few games of Newcastle's defense before I invest heavily again.
- Jamie: Although he and the team don’t fill me with much confidence, I’m saying André Onana. There’s no way Manchester United can be so bad this season. United had so many defensive injuries last campaign that can’t happen again, either. While I don’t foresee them returning to their glory days anytime soon, I expect an improved team and Onana to be the highest scorer of the £5.0M ‘keepers.
One of Pickford or Henderson will be my goalkeeper for GW1 ✅
🍬 Dyche keepers are a dream in terms of FPL with tighter defenses and save points
🦅 Palace were 4th best defensively last season and Henderson is looking like a great option
🍬 I am not sure if i want to pay £5m… pic.twitter.com/W7rK2kKVIF
— FPL GOAT (@FPLGOAT7) August 8, 2024
Whose the best pick between the nets priced at £4.5M or under?
- Euan: I would've said Bart Verbruggen here before he hurt his hand and is likely to miss the first few weeks of the season for Brighton. I will sit on the fence here and say whichever Chelsea keeper ends up as the No. 1 option. Robert Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen, and Djordje Petrovic are all priced at £4.5M. While Gameweek 1 (vs. MCI) and Gameweek 8 (at LIV) aren't great, Gameweeks 2-7 look gorgeous for defensive Chelsea assets.
- Jamie: There’s a perception that Dean Henderson (£4.5M) will be Palace’s No. 1 this season, which might be the case. However, Sam Johnstone (£4.5M) was the No. 1 before getting injured, and if Henderson did start the season as the No. 1, Johnstone will likely be sold. Nottingham Forest has been linked with Johnstone, and given Palace ranked fourth in expected goals against (xGA) and Forest ranked fifth, either situation should offer Johnstone a chance to be a top option.
Note: Sam Johnstone has requested a transfer from Crystal Palace after Dean Henderson was named the first-choice goalkeeper.
🚨 Excl: Crystal Palace ready to sanction Sam Johnstone exit after GK asked to go. 31yo relayed decision on tour - club will help if enough time + acceptable offer. #CPFC want £10m for England int’l. Interest from #LCFC #NFFC #SaintsFC #WWFC @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/kh6zmCm4Mc
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) August 7, 2024
Which goalkeeper will have the best start to the Fantasy Premier League season over the first six fixtures?
- Euan Leith: Another reason I like Alisson so much is the fixtures. Liverpool doesn't play a single top-seven side from last season's standings under Gameweek 8 against Chelsea. At Man United in Gameweek 3 is the toughest test for the Reds for the first two months of the season, so there could be some very early clean sheet returns for the Brazilian.
- Jamie Steed: Aston Villa’s start to the season includes Arsenal on Matchday 2. However, they blanked the Gunners twice last season. They also face Everton and Wolves, two sides that finished in the bottom-5 for goals scored last season. Add in the fact they also face two of the newly promoted sides, and Emi Martinez (£5.0M) could get off to a flyer.
Liverpool's first eight fixtures for the 2024/25 Premier League season.
Which goalkeeper will struggle to keep the ball out of the net over the first six fixtures of the FPL season?
- Euan: Wolves got a tough draw for the first batch of fixtures this season. As a result, I don't see any reason to have Jose Sa in your FPL team. The best chance at a clean sheet is in Gameweek 3, but that's still an away tie at Nottingham Forest. I expect we will consider Jose Sa at some point this season, but not before that brutal first eight fixtures are done and dusted.
- Jamie: José Sá. Wolves will have to face five of the six highest-scoring teams from last season in the opening weeks. The only respite coming against Nottingham Forest, although that’s also an away fixture. Wolves went a little under the radar last season and impressed, given they were expected to be in a relegation battle. Their opening fixtures might leave them at the foot of the table by Matchday 7.
As of today, who's your favorite FPL goalkeeper to target?
- Euan: I'm returning to my roots and taking a £4.5M keeper despite my eagerness to get Jordan Pickford as a set-and-forget pick. Therefore, Dean Henderson is the man for me, with just over a week until the Gameweek 1 deadline. Crystal Palace has a strong set of fixtures to begin the campaign and performed well once Oliver Glasner took over at the end of the season.
- Jamie: I’m going with my £4.5M option of Sam Johnstone. The fact he’s on less than one percent of teams, while Dean Henderson is rostered by 4.5% of FPL managers, makes him a significant differential should he assume that starting role for Palace. As mentioned, he could find himself on the move and would likely be a starter wherever he ends up. Johnstone remained Palace’s first choice after signing Henderson, so it feels too early to assume Henderson will start the season as Palace’s No. 1.
Which two goalkeepers have made your team? 🧤#FPL pic.twitter.com/mzfytE3NAr
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) August 4, 2024
Finally, what's your bold prediction for goalkeepers during the 2023/24 FPL season?
- Euan: Last season, only Jordan Pickford (153 points) cracked the 140-point barrier for keepers. For the 2024/25 campaign, only two goalkeepers will crack the 120-point mark. Goals are on the rise, and it's not stopping anytime soon. This lowers the appeal of spending big at goalkeeper even more, so remember that when locking in your Gameweek 1 squad.
- Jamie: Nottingham Forest’s goalkeeper ends up top-5 in total points, despite not being at the club when this was published. If Sam Johnstone doesn’t end up moving to Forest, it will be because they sign Aaron Ramsdale instead. There’s no way Forest will go through the season with Matz Sels as their preferred option between the sticks. And whoever they end up bringing in will tally double-digit clean sheets and top 120 total points.
Join the Rotoballer FPL League
Fancy pitting your wits against fellow RotoBallers? Then, join our free league to compete against the team and our dedicated FPL fans. Head to the official FPL site, click the Leagues and Cups tab and enter the RotoBaller league code: b278pa.
Go head-to-head against your friends and family in mini-leagues 🏆
Pick your squad and compete for #FPL glory now! ⬇️
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) July 18, 2024
Stick around for more 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League content coming soon. Hit us up on X @RotoBaller. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas!
