Elite Goalkeepers to Watch in 2024/25 Fantasy Leagues

The Scout compares players’ stats, prices and fixtures to help FPL managers pick their squads

The Scout compares players’ statistics, prices and fixtures in each position to help managers pick their opening squads for 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League.

Goalkeepers
The displays of Everton’s Jordan Pickford (£5.0m) in Fantasy last season showed why so many managers choose a budget goalkeeper who offers multiple routes to returns.

Listed at £4.5m for the start of 2023/24, Pickford was the top-scoring ‘keeper in Fantasy, with 153 points.

Not only did he keep 13 clean sheets, he also earned a further 29 save points and 22 bonus points. That combined total of 51 additional points was almost the equivalent of 13 extra clean sheets.

Henderson has early schedule to thrive under Glasner
Crystal Palace’s performances under Oliver Glasner last season suggest Dean Henderson (£4.5m) can offer big value in the Austrian’s first full campaign in charge.

After Glasner was appointed head coach in Gameweek 25, Palace conceded just 15 goals – the third-best defensive record in the league. They collected five clean sheets over those 14 encounters, placing them joint-third with Everton, behind Arsenal and Manchester City.

Henderson established himself as the Eagles’ No 1 for Glasner and has also started their last two summer friendlies, being preferred to Sam Johnstone (£4.5m).

Henderson under Glasner in GWs 25-38 2023/24

When evaluating goalkeepers priced at £4.5m for the 2024/25 season, Dean Henderson stands out with an average of 3.8 points per match (ppm), leading the pack in this price range. This performance surpasses Brentford’s Mark Flekken, who averaged 3.5ppm and scored 119 points last season, the highest among budget goalkeepers.

Henderson’s appeal is bolstered by Crystal Palace’s early fixture schedule. According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), three of their first four matches are rated just two, including games against Brentford, West Ham United, and promoted Leicester City.

Chelsea also offer budget-friendly options with Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen, both priced at £4.5m. Sanchez has started all four of Chelsea’s summer friendlies, though it’s unclear if Jorgensen will be his main competition or a backup. Despite a challenging opening match against Manchester City, Chelsea’s fixtures from Gameweeks 2-7, rated at just two by the FDR, present a favorable run of games.

West Ham provide another budget option with their £4.5m starting goalkeeper, Alphonse Areola, and £4.0m backup, Lukasz Fabianski. The appointment of Julen Lopetegui as head coach could enhance the defensive solidity of West Ham, similar to his impact at Wolverhampton Wanderers, where his defensive strategies led to seven clean sheets in the latter part of the 2022/23 season.

Additional budget pairings include Brentford’s Flekken and Hakon Valdimarsson (£4.0m), as well as Wolves’ Jose Sa (£4.5m) and Daniel Bentley (£4.0m).

For those considering premium options, Arsenal’s David Raya (£5.5m) may offer good value. Raya earned the Golden Glove award with 16 clean sheets in 32 appearances last season, achieving a 50% clean sheet rate and averaging 4.2ppm, which is higher than Jordan Pickford’s 4.0ppm. Arsenal had the league’s best defensive record with 18 clean sheets, including 11 away clean sheets, the most in the league.

Despite being priced at £5.5m, Raya is the most cost-effective way to access Arsenal’s strong defense, which has been further strengthened by the addition of left-back Riccardo Calafiori (£6.0m). Considering the cost of Arsenal’s first-choice defenders, Raya represents a more affordable option for securing a place in their well-regarded defense.

Next: Best budget defenders for your Fantasy team.