The EPL Fantasy draft deadline is closing in, with less than a week left for us to pick out a squad which will represent us in the first game week of EPL Fantasy football. Having countless options on which 15 players to pick, we have to approach the issue systematically, which in our case means starting at the top, with the goalkeeper role.
Goalkeepers proved to be one of the most important roles, yet one of the most difficult to pick. Finding a budget reliable goalkeeper seems to be harder with each passing season, nonetheless, we have found a couple of candidates, we believe offer good value for their price and should be considered as a solid pick ahead of game week 1.
Fantasy Premier League Tips: FPL Goalkeepers
Nick Pope (£4.5m); Burnley
Nick Pope comes off as a solid choice for a budget goalkeeper, especially considering his record in the EPL. In 35 appearances, he conceded only 35 times, made 114 saves and even had 11 clean sheets to his name. If we also consider the fact he mustered up 19 BP and 152 FPL points, Pope should arguably have a £5m price tag. Add to that Burnley’s solid defence, and Pope suddenly becomes a goalkeeper worth taking a look at, especially with a low price.
Kasper Schmeichel (£5m); Leicester
Last season Schmeichel reached double figures in clean sheets, which is a good sign on its own, however, it’s the Leicester’s schedule which caught our attention. The home game against Wolves, followed by an away match against Chelsea and Sheffield and to top it all off a home match against Bournemouth. Despite the fact Leicester will have to face off against Chelsea in their first away game, the Danish stopper has kept a clean sheet at Stamford Bridge before. Additionally, Leicester seems stronger under Rodgers and will fancy their chances in the relatively easy opening matches.
Alisson Ramses Becker (£6m); Liverpool
Arguably one of the best goalkeepers in the league as of now, with 20 cleans sheets to his name in 2018/19 season. There is very little that separates him from Ederson, however, where we see the difference is the defence. Liverpool have arguably slightly better defence, making Alisson in our eyes a slightly better pick overall. That comes at a price there will be less saves made from Alisson, nonetheless, if you’re looking for a goalkeeper who will bring a lot of clean sheets, Alisson is the right man for the job.
Honourable mentions:
Rui Patricio (£5m); Wolverhampton
A solid 2018/19 season is behind Rui Patricio, who despite only recording 7 clean sheets racked up 142 points. Much like in the case of Kasper Schmeichel, Rui Patricio will enjoy a rather calm opening 4 matches, as Wolves face off against Leicester on the road, followed by a home match against Manchester United and Burnley and Everton in an away match. The fixture against Man United might seem threatening, however, we must remember Wolves dispatched them twice last season and even drew at Old Trafford. All in all, Wolves have improved and with it our belief in Rui Patricio and his ability to bring us a nice amount of points.
David de Gea (£5.5m); Manchester United
De Gea is a goalkeeper that can easily be overlooked following his rather disappointing result last season. It was not only him but Manchester United as a whole who struggled in the defensive end. With only seven clean sheets in 38 games, the price on one of the best goalkeepers in the world dropped from £6m to £5.5m. Having an option to pick him at £5.5m is without a say a steal, especially if we consider Man United’s improved defence ahead of the next season.
With the signing of Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, United’s defence looks much stronger, ergo we can expect far less dangerous shots towards their goal.
All in all, De Gea presents huge value at the offered price, which is why we believe he should find his way to any team which is prepared to approach the draft with some riskier picks.
Hugo Lloris (£5.5m); Tottenham Hotspurs
His value dropped a bit following a mediocre season, nonetheless, we do expect Lloris to improve. Not only have Tottenham as a team improved, but the fact that they will finally get to play on their new stadium also makes us believe Lloris’ performance should be more consistent with more clean sheets to his name. Last season 12 was his personal lowest since 2014/15, and while there is no saying how the upcoming season will go for him, Lloris still presents a good option for a goalkeeper that we can rotate into the squad every couple of weeks.
