Explainer | Fantasy Premier League goalkeepers: where to get bargains, stars, set and forget, rotation
- Aston Villa’s Emi Martinez is top pick for FPL managers after stellar season last time out
- Watford and Brighton pairings offer budget bargains while Ederson and Alisson guarantee points
Time is ticking to get your teams sorted out ahead of the first game of the English Premier League season on Friday night when Arsenal take on new boys Brentford.
As with any title-winning team, your Fantasy Premier League foundations need to be strong and that means picking the right goalkeeper.
There are two main schools of thought when it comes to keepers: set and forget or rotating.
How to climb the Fantasy Premier League rankings: tips from an elite manager
The first is to pick one first choice glovesmith for the whole season and the other is to have a pair of goalies picking between them each week for whoever has the kinder fixture.
Here are some options for you to pick between the virtual sticks for the coming season.
Emiliano Martinez (5.5m)
The Aston Villa keeper had a stand-out season following his move from Arsenal and his 186 points was just one behind Brad Freidel’s FPL record. He had 15 clean sheets last season plus plenty of save bonuses. Little wonder that the Copa America winner is the most picked goalkeeper ahead of gameweek one.
Daniel Bachmann (4.5m)
The Austrian is now first choice for new boys Watford and at just 4.5m is on the cheaper end of goalkeepers. If you pair him with former England keeper Ben Foster (4.0m) – who Bachmann filled in for after he was injured in January – then you also have his Watford backup so you can forget about having to rotate.
Ederson (6.0m)
The Brazilian might cost as much as keepers can but it is an easy life for the Manchester City stopper, who had a league-high 19 clean sheets last season. He is Pep Guardiola’s “set and forget” keeper and guarantees points.
Alisson (6.0m)
Liverpool’s Brazilian keeper is a similar pick to his international teammate Ederson but with an added goal threat, as witnessed against West Brom last season. Alisson will also benefit from a returning Virgil van Dijk, who missed much of last season through injury.
Robert Sanchez (4.5m)
The Brighton and Hove Albion goalkeeper made the No 1 spot his own last season and with Mat Ryan now gone, the Seagulls’ Spanish stopper will keep hold of it. He kept 10 clean sheets last campaign and if paired with Brighton backup Jason Steele (4.0m) provides an easy fix.
Ilian Meslier (5.0m)
The Spaniard racked up an incredible number of saves in his debut English Premier League campaign with Leeds United. There were some unexpected hidings along the way but he still notched 11 clean sheets. Leeds have a bad start to the EPL but things look up after the first four fixtures.
