Top 5 goalkeepers you must have in FPL before GW1
Fantasy Premier League (FPL) has gripped the footballing world once again, with countless managers locked in fierce competition for virtual dominance. Offices, social circles, and online communities have become battlegrounds as rivals strive to outsmart each other. While strikers often hog the headlines, a reliable goalkeeper is the unsung hero who can propel your FPL team to victory.
A top-class goalkeeper is more than just a shot-stopper; they are a points-accumulating machine capable of delivering crucial clean sheets, save points, and even bonus points for standout displays. Constructing a defensive unit anchored by a world-class goalkeeper can be the difference between FPL triumph and failure.
Selecting the right goalkeeper requires careful analysis of several factors. Pre-season form, the team’s defensive solidity, fixture difficulty, and potential for save points all influence your decision. SportsDunia is here to assist you in identifying the standout goalkeepers to solidify your FPL squad from the outset.
#1 Alisson
Alisson’s lure in FPL is simple. He is the best keeper in the league and plays for one of the best defences in the league. Liverpool conceded 41 goals last season, the third least of all clubs. The balance is good as Alisson keeps a lot of clean sheets but also makes saves pretty regularly, so he can get points both ways. With Virgil Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate or Jarell Quansah as the centre-backs, he has good cover. Liverpool have a fantastic run of fixtures in the first 10 weeks. They play Ipswich, Brentford, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Wolves and Crystal Palace in their first seven. The potential for points in all of these games are massive for the £5.5m priced Brazilian. On the flipside, he does take up a valuable Liverpool slot and given the fixture list, this is something to consider.
#2 Ederson
Ederson has come in at the same price in FPL as last season i.e. £5.5m. In terms of making saves or getting bonuses, Ederson is a weak choice, given he simply has a lot less to do than others. What Ederson does have in his favour though is that he plays for one of the best defences in the league and is the most likely of their defensive players to start, given Pep Guardiola’s liking for rotating his players. City conceded 34 goals last season and only Arsenal conceded less. Pep Guardiola’s team have good fixtures to start the season. They come up against Ipswich, West Ham, Brentford, Fulham , Wolves , Southampton and Bournemouth in the first 10, which are almost sure to be clean sheets.
Ederson had been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia in this window but he has come out to say he’s not leaving after a solid performance in the Community Shield win against Manchester United.
#3 David Raya
David Raya finished the 2023/24 FPL season as the second highest scoring goalkeeper, garnering 125 points despite only playing 32 games. Arsenal were comfortably the best defence in the league last season. They kept the most clean sheets ,18, which was five more than second placed City and Everton. They also conceded the lowest number of goals – 29. With the signing of Riccardo Calafiori and return of Jurrien Timber through injury, their defence is stronger this season if anything.
Arsenal’s fixture list in the first 10 games are mixed. They have really strong games in FPL terms against Wolves, Brighton , Leicester, Southampton and Bournemouth but also tougher matches against Aston Villa, Spurs, City, Liverpool and Newcastle. But over the season, Raya is sure to provide a lot of points. At £5.5m, he’s also the cheapest way into Arsenal’s defence.
#4 Jordan Pickford
Everton’s Jordan Pickford was the highest-scoring goalkeeper in FPL last season with a massive 153 point haul. Everton’s defence is surprisingly good, with them having kept the second most clean sheets with 13 and conceded 51 goals which was the fourth least. Sean Dyche isn’t exactly defensive in his style but he is pragmatic and that means Everton are again expected to do well at the back.
At £5.0m, Pickford should provide great value. The Toffees have a great run of fixtures for almost the entirety of the first half of the season. Pickford is also someone who picks up a lot of bonuses, so that is an added asset too.
#5 Mark Flekken
Brentford’s shot stopper Mark Flekken has emerged as one of top choices for the goalkeeper position among analysts and enthusiasts alike. With a rather cheap price tag of £4.5m, Flekken offers excellent value. His impressive tally of 119 points and 7 clean sheets in the 2023/24 season is a good indicator of his value in FPL. The Dutchman is comfortably Brentford’s first choice now, having started all but one of their league games last season. His shots faced and saves made are what you want for an FPL goalkeeper. Brentford usually boasted of a solid defence under Thomas Frank but injuries really hampered with that last season. Expect this season to have more clean sheets and more FPL points for Flekken.
