The new Fantasy Premier League season gets underway on Friday and by now most players will have their squads sorted for the first Gameweek of the year.
Of course there are some who prefer to wait until the day of the very first deadline to give themselves as much time as possible to wait for new signings, departures etc. Building a squad of outfielders is usually the easiest part but this sometimes leaves the goalkeeping ranks to be overlooked.
It’s not a terrible tactic to go outfield first, but sometimes the points from a goalkeeper can be undervalued. Here are some of the best goalkeeping options to select in 2023-24 based on price and last season’s stats.
Bernd Leno - Fulham (£4.5m)
To start us off we have a goalkeeper who falls perfectly into both categories. After his reputation nose-dived at Arsenal, Bernd Leno quickly rediscovered his form with Fulham last term, playing a key role in helping the Cottagers finish 10th. The German also kept eight clean sheets and made a league second-best total of 144 saves (and it’s worth remembering three saves per match is worth an extra point). Leno also made one penalty save last year, which banks goalkeepers five points.
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Jordan Pickford - Everton (£4.5m)
One thing about Everton being in a real mess over the past two seasons is that it has meant England number one Jordan Pickford has been kept very busy. The shot-stopper was called into action to make 124 saves in 2022-23 (third in the league) and he helped the Toffees keep eight clean sheets, once again helping them out of their sticky situation. He also made one penalty save last term and registered an assist too.
Aaron Ramsdale - Arsenal (£5m)
Fellow Three Lions star Aaron Ramsdale had an impressive campaign last time out as he helped Arsenal push Manchester City in the title race, and they are expected to do so again this time around. Ramsdale kept 12 clean sheets for the Gunners and made 94 saves. With Arsenal bolstering their defensive ranks for the new term, we could see an increase in clean sheets.
Andre Onana - Manchester United (£5m)
There has been a changing of the guard in goal at Manchester United this summer. Long-serving goalkeeper David de Gea has gone and Andre Onana has come in as a player who manager Erik ten Hag knows well from their Ajax days together. Despite not being comfortable with the ball at his feet, De Gea won the Golden Glove last season with 16 clean sheets as the Red Devils’ defence drastically improved. They will likely be even stronger with another pre-season behind them, which could make Onana a shrewd pick.
Mark Flekken - Brentford (£4.5m)
Like Onana, Mark Flekken is a new arrival in the Premier League this summer. With it being well documented that last year’s number one David Raya was seeking a new venture elsewhere, Brentford swooped for Flekken from Bundesliga high-flyers Freiburg. The Dutchman kept 13 clean sheets in the Bundesliga last term and saved 103 of the 147 shots he faced, working out at 3.06 saves per 90.
