The best FPL goalkeepers for your fantasy football team based on last season’s data | Premier League
If you weren’t already aware, goalkeepers are pretty important to the overall success of a team.
Just look at Jose Mourinho’s 2004/05 Chelsea, in which Petr Cech conceded just 15 (fifteen!) goals. Or Edwin van der Sar’s 21 clean sheets as Manchester United lifted the title in 2008/09.
The same goes for Fantasy Football. Josh Wooldridge earned £200,000 by winning FanTeam’s 2020/21 Fantasy Premier League tournament and stresses the importance of getting right No.1.
“I realised about halfway through the season just how good goalies could be on FanTeam because of the 0.5 point per save,” he says.
“I think I got Emiliano Martinez in my side about halfway through the season and then I obviously ended with Ederson. So I realised it was worth spending a bit more in goal.”
How to join FanTeam’s Premier League 2021/22 Fantasy Football tournament:
To sign up, you need to be over 18, Gamble Aware and meet FanTeam’s terms and conditions. Otherwise, just follow these simple steps:
- Head to FanTeam via this link (or click the image below) and sign up
- Join the ‘£1M Fantasy Premier League’ tournament and pay your £20 entry fee
- Create a team and click ‘Enter Tournament’
So to give you a steer ahead of the 2021/22 Fantasy Premier League tournament, below are last season’s top five goalkeepers for overall points total from FanTeam’s 2020/21 Fantasy Premier League.
5. Alisson (Liverpool)
- FanTeam Fantasy Premier League points from 2019/20: 162.5
- FanTeam price for 2021/22: 6M
Alisson marked his maiden Premier League campaign at Anfield by keeping 21 clean sheets, the second-most across a single season in the competition’s history. Naturally, he scooped the Golden Glove award in the process. The Brazilian has continued to guard his net with distinction in the ensuing two seasons, but he comes in at ‘five’ here as he racked up just 162.5 points last season, eight of which came as a result of his match-winning goal against West Brom.
The 28-year-old has also had his fair share of injury problems over the past two campaigns, missing a total of 14 games across 2019/20 and 2020/21 combined, including five last term. This, given his high price tag, might be one of very few reasons to avoid signing him.
4. Illan Meslier (Leeds United)
- FanTeam Fantasy Premier League points from 2019/20: 168
- FanTeam price for 2021/22: 5M
The baby-faced ‘keeper was exceptional for Marcelo Bielsa’s side last season, so much so that he was voted the club’s ‘Young Player of the Year’. Not only did he keep the joint fifth-most clean sheets in the Premier League in 2020/21 (11), helping Leeds mark their return to the English top flight with a ninth-placed finish; Meslier also made 140 saves in the process, the fourth-most in the division, with a 72.63% save percentage, the third-highest among regularly starting goalkeepers.
That he racked up 11 cleans sheets while his goal was consistently peppered throughout the campaign illustrates his talent. However, this level of exposure may also put off some FPL buyers. Only relegated teams West Brom and Sheffield United conceded more shots on target in the Premier League than Leeds United last season.
3. Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur)
- FanTeam Fantasy Premier League points from 2019/20: 173
- FanTeam price for 2021/22: 5.5M
Despite keeping 12 clean sheets last term, a figure bettered only by three goalkeepers, Lloris faced a barrage of belters on his goal frame. The World Cup winner was the only ‘Big Six’ goalkeeper to register saves in the triple digits (114), which also happened to be the joint sixth-most in the entire division. As Jose Mourinho’s defence proved atypically porous, Lloris was often left vulnerable, but stood up to the task to rack up a commendable 173 points. Nuno Espirito Santo will no doubt be hoping to shore things up this summer and ensure his No. 1 is not left at the back to pick up the pieces.
2. Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
- FanTeam Fantasy Premier League points from 2019/20: 195
- FanTeam price for 2021/22: 5.5M
The £20m Aston Villa couriered to the capital last summer looked steep at the time, as the 28-year-old had only racked up 15 Premier League appearances in a decade at Arsenal. However, that price now looks an absolute snip. Martinez kept the third-most clean sheets (15) and made the third-most saves (142) last term of any Premier League goalkeeper.
He recently took that form into Copa America, where he won the Golden Glove and was named in the ‘Team of the Tournament’ as Lionel Messi ended his international silverware duck and Argentina lifted the South American cup for the first time in nearly 30 years.
1. Ederson (Manchester City)
- FanTeam Fantasy Premier League points from 2019/20: 196.5
- FanTeam price for 2021/22: 6M
In the 36 Premier League matches Ederson took part in last term, he conceded just 28 goals, keeping 19 clean sheets in the process to earn his second Golden Glove, a second appearance in the division’s ‘Team of the Year’ and third title. The Brazilian was also one of just two goalkeepers to register an assist, famously teeing up Ilkay Gundogan, who made absolute mincemeat out of Davinson Sanchez to put the gloss on a 3-0 win over Spurs. Of all the stellar names to walk through the Etihad door since Sheikh Mansour stepped in, Ederson’s name is certainly up there with the best of the bunch.
Last season’s best bargain: Emiliano Martinez
Emi Martínez at the end of 2019-20 season: 15 Premier League appearances across 10 seasons including six loans from Arsenal, FA Cup and Community Shield winner
Emi Martínez during 2020-21: 15 Premier League *clean sheets*, Copa América champion and Golden Glove winner
Wow. pic.twitter.com/KPj9BlrtyC
— Squawka (@Squawka) July 11, 2021
- Starting price in 2019/20: 4.5M
- FanTeam Fantasy Premier League points from 2019/20: 195
Martinez was unquestionably the bargain buy of last season. At just 4.5M he ranked significantly below the likes of Alisson (6M) and Ederson (also 6M). Few were expecting the towering Argentine to enjoy the season he did, especially not Mikel Arteta. Hindsight is 20/20 and all that, but boy did they get that one wrong. Their efforts to bring in Mathew Ryan midway through the campaign and well-documented pursuit of Aaron Ramsdale this summer has left egg on the faces of those who sanctioned Martinez’s departure in September. He will cost you a pretty penny this time around in FanTeam’s Fantasy Premier League, with the 28-year-old now priced at 5.5M, but he may well worth it. A notable mention must go to to Meslier, as well, who finished with the fourth-most points among goalkeepers and cost even less at 4M. He’s now gone up to 5M.
Biggest flop: Kepa Arrizabalaga
- FanTeam Fantasy Premier League points from 2019/20: 26
- Starting FanTeam price in 2020/21: 5M
The world’s most expensive goalkeeper has endured a tough time of it ever since he refused to be subbed off by Maurizio Sarri in the 2019 League Cup final, culminating in his eventual demotion to the bench and Edouard Mendy’s rise to Chelsea’s starting berth. Having made just seven Premier League appearances last season, Kepa naturally accumulated only 26 points, and given Mendy’s heroics in goal, it’s unlikely he’ll see much game time at the Bridge this forthcoming campaign (though he remains priced at 5M).
Among regular starting ‘keepers, Newcastle’s Martin Dubravka, also at a price of 5M, was certainly one to avoid last term. The Slovakian stopper registered just 55 points, while David de Gea of Manchester United racked up only 110.5, the second-lowest among goalkeepers who made over 20 appearances. And the Spaniard would have cost you a hefty 5.5M, though that number has since gone down to 5M with the emergence of Dean Henderson (also valued at 5M this season). However, he did prove his worth against penalties, coming on just for the shootout and saving two as Chelsea beat Villarreal to win the 2021 Uefa Super Cup.
Squawka is partnering with FanTeam to produce more content ahead of the 2021/22 Premier League season, so stay tuned for more tips over the coming weeks. To sign up for the upcoming season’s Fantasy Premier League tournament, visit their site here or click the image below.
