Season so far: Review of the best FPL goalkeepers
After 30 Gameweeks of the season, it’s time to review the best FPL goalkeepers as we head into the final fixtures.
Top-scoring FPL goalkeepers
Following our looks at the best defenders and attacking assets so far, now it’s the goalkeepers. Firstly, the basic stats.
Although the stand-out goalkeepers this FPL season are Aaron Ramsdale and Jose Sa, joining them at the top are the Brazilian stoppers of Liverpool and Man City. However, as cheaper options are usually preferred in this position, Alisson and Ederson are neglected for team mates like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andrew Robertson and Joao Cancelo.
Curiously, Wolves rank highly for clean sheets, yet Sa has been forced to make the third-most saves of all goalkeepers. He gets the best of both worlds – 11 clean sheets, plus 24 save points. Meanwhile, he also bagged an assist, like Alisson and Ben Foster.
Beyond this, it’s no surprise to see Leeds’ Illan Meslier achieve the highest number of saves.
Underlying stats
Looking beyond the basic data, Fantasy Football Scout’s Members Area can help tell a more detailed story.
Sa really shines here, as he’s responsible for preventing 7.60 goals – double that of David De Gea in second. This is calculated by grouping the expected goals (xG) scores of shots conceded on target, then subtracting the actual goals conceded.
This is why Sa ranks highly for baseline bonus points. Although Meslier is top because of the huge number of on-target shots he has faced and the subsequent saves.
The most-owned goalkeeper with the largest number of price rises, Ramsdale faces very few shots and therefore has a poor BPS base. Whilst Wolves’ defence has kept 11 clean sheets despite conceding an unimpressive number of shots, Arsenal’s defence is strong.
Looking forward
Our look at whether Ramsdale is the best goalkeeper for the final eight Gameweeks is tempered by the hip injury that prevented him from facing Aston Villa. Arsenal have much nicer closing fixtures than Wolves, whilst Burnley’s Nick Pope has two Double Gameweeks amongst the next three.
Elsewhere, Foster is the cheapest first choice stopper and finds himself in almost 19% of squads. It took until Gameweek 23 for Watford’s first clean sheet but now have three from six away days. Brighton’s Robert Sanchez is at a good price point but has just one clean sheet from the last 12 matches.
On the other hand, Leicester still have 11 matches to play. Whereas outfielders Harvey Barnes and James Maddison will likely be rotated, Kasper Schmeichel will surely play all 11. He has made the fourth-most saves.
