Best FPL Goalkeepers at Each Price Point for the 2023/24 Season

FPL, at its core, is like a mind-bending optimization puzzle wrapped in the chaos of real-life football madness. This article is written by Sankalp Nanda(@UnderstandingF8) who finished with an Overall FPL Rank of 355 and India No.11 in the 2021/22 FPL season.

It’s a delicious concoction for fans who crave both the thrill of the game and the nerdy art of analysis. Every season, Football and FPL team up to throw us a surprise party, and we find ourselves juggling strategies throughout the year. It’s a strategic showdown where you can either become a psychic predictor or a perpetual chaser. But fear not, my friends, because the pre-season is like a mystical crystal ball that lets us tinker with price ranges that are snugly spaced at 0.5m intervals. It’s the time when we don our wizard hats, conjure up formations, and plot our master plan to conquer the FPL realm. Let the quirky quest for fantasy football glory begin!

In today’s article, we are going to look at the battle of price points to help you pick the perfect player in every price point available per position. Goalkeepers are perhaps one of the most fun picks when it comes to positions till you figure out the right player and sit back. Their returns are strongly dependent on 2 major factors- Saves & Clean Sheets which highly impact the BPS as well. Generally, when a team that does not score a lot of goals gets a CS, the goalkeeper has a strong chance of getting extra bonus points esp if he has more than 3 saves that day. This has made the 4.5 Million spot a strong attraction given the lack of variance between 5.5m and 4.5m goalkeepers. Below you can see the shots and clean sheet numbers from last season. No doubt Raya topped the charts last season closely followed by Allison & De Gea ( who strongly depended on his 17 clean sheets). We are going to refer to this table a bit as well during our analysis.

Link to all our 2023/24 Pre-Season articles including all team pre-season friendly updates, team previews, fixture analysis, position-wise analysis, differentials, players to target, budget enablers and more. Completely free to access as well!

Premier League Goalkeeper Saves & Clean Sheets(22/23 Season)

With GKs, we have only 4 price points available (4m,4.5m,5m & 5.5m), so it makes things so much easier to look at. Given the huge propensity of the FPL community to rely a lot on stats, I am going to keep this series a bit more subjective in nature, to add variance to the nature of articles. The primary reasons given in this article would be based on Fixture Analysis & my observations from last season. While obviously, there will be some stats sprinkled here and there to comfort our readers, let’s be clear- this is a Grass FC article.

FPL Goalkeeper Prices (Starting Probability) 

This is based on the current understanding of the starting probability of Goalkeepers. While 5m is a bracket where we generally have starting GKs, it is very much possible Raya and Lloris are no longer starters for their team so they would be in our Avoid category at the start of the season. Aerola comes in the opposite end of this logic as if he starts he might be the only 4m GK to take this slot.

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Fantasy Football Hub(FFHUB)

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Fixture Difficulty & xCS

We are using the Fantasy Football Hub fixture ticker (GW 1-6) which has been sorted as per the clean sheets probabilities. While I don’t like using such models at the start of the season given a lot of changes in the squad as well as decision makings by coaches, we will use it as a support reference for our consideration.

FPL Goalkeepers in the 5.5 Million Price Bracket: 

Options available are Ederson, Allison & Pope alone. 

I think fixtures have made things easier for us as we can avoid Allison & Pope despite being tremendous assets on their own, fixtures are very tough to begin with for Newcastle as the first 5 looks very bare from a clean-sheet point of view. While models continue to rate Newcastle very highly at home, both Villa and Brentford are formidable attacking teams, and I would not bet clean sheet in those matches. 

There can be a case for Allison who helped me a lot towards the end of last season, he can make a lot of saves given Liverpool’s tendency to go ultra-attack ( Joint 4^th last season). There is a CS there every alternate week perhaps. I can see them amassing 3 CS in the run of 6 GWs but it does feel a bit of a luxurious choice at 5.5m.

Ederson

Fixtures support Man City without any doubt but Ederson came off one of his worst-ever seasons in PL history so far. He was among the bottom 10 percentile in save % ( 59% last season compared to 70% the season before) and made a knack of conceding that 1 goal for City. There seems no credible threat to his position so far but he is your quintessential 6-pointer. I do feel he would come in stronger this season, most top GKs do that. Given that in mind and fixtures, purely from a price point of view- he seems to be the choice.

Winner- EDERSON

FPL Goalkeepers in the 5.0 Million Price Bracket: 

Options available are: Ramsdale, Martinez, Raya, Onana & Kepa.

Arsenal ended last season with a weird home, away track record when it came to clean sheets. Arsenal were amongst the top for clean sheet away while regularly managing to concede at home. Overall, Ramsdale had the joint 2^nd highest clean sheet while making 10^th highest saves.

Preseason matches have seen Arteta play around a lot with the midfield with Trossard/Havertz playing the LCM no. 8 role with Odegaard playing on the opposite side and Rice being asked to play the no. 6 role. While the team should find its balance overall, it just feels Arsenal might continue their strong attack, and weaker defence (Clean sheet wise) at home. Ramsdale will need to be at his ultimate best to get those CS and so far, we have not seen that Ramsdale yet. 

Martinez

Martinez is one of the dark horses when it comes to GK choice while blazing his way as a GK in his first full season for Villa, his stocks have fallen since till Unai has come back and stabilized their way back. The only con here seems to be the lack of home fixtures as Villa have only 2 solid home games and that feels like their ceiling from clean sheet POV. This is in addition to the fact while he had 11 clean sheets, just like Ramsdale, Emi barely made it into the top 10 saves list.

Raya

Raya can be the standout option in this category over 6 weeks except for the fact, we are no longer sure of his starts with Flekken coming into the picture now. Raya had 154 saves last season in addition to a strong 12 clean sheets. On his day, he is a bonus magnet given he adds on to the exceptional shot-saving capabilities with his strong passing abilities as well. We also read how Bayern is now in the mix for negotiations for Raya(Raya was not in the squad for Bentford’s latest pre-season game vs Brighton on the 26th of July). This makes Flekken the most probable starter for Brentford in the season ahead.

Onana

While we await his debut for United, What we have here is a strong possibility of a mixture of possible United Clean Sheets (Last year Man United led the league with 17 clean sheets) combined with Onana’s accurate passing leading to higher BPS than their ex-keeper. He seems to be the Twitter darling already but it is not as settled a choice as we feel thanks to the fixtures. United have 2-3 Clean Sheets in the first 6 games with Burnley away perhaps the decider on the same. He saves you 0.5m off Shaw but is he the outright choice over this price bracket? Can’t say it yet!!

Kepa

While Kepa did emerge briefly as a strong choice for us last season, Lampard quickly took that away with a leaky defence. Pochettinho seems to be bringing the attacking flair back but it does mean Chelsea are prone to counters more than ever. On paper, they have extremely good fixtures- Luton & Nottingham at home coupled with West Ham, Bou away. Good coaches fix defenses first & Kepa noise while low might actually surprise many over the first 6 fixtures.

Winner- KEPA

FPL Goalkeepers in the 4.5 Million Price Bracket: 

4.5 Million goalkeepers are generally where FPL managers lean towards. The list is often tricky, to begin with, & the winner at the end of the season is often a GK who surprises us. Given the long list of options in this price bracket, I would focus on some of the best options available only- Pickford, Leno, Muric & Flekken

While people are running away at the name of Everton’s defence, I think the impact that Sean Dyche can have on a team esp given their first preseason with him is being understated. Pickford ended last season with a low 8 clean sheets but combined it with a whopping 124 saves (3^rd highest). The fixtures makes me feel he has an overall 2 clean sheets ceiling with 2 home games against Fulham & Wolves. The first game will set the tone here. Arsenal one will be tricky as Dyche can set up the perfect archetype to counter Arsenal’s possession. From away games, Sheffield away feels like another possible CS. I think Pickford comes out as a much more attractive option than his current ownership suggests.

Leno was one of the standout GKs in this bracket last season, he was exceptional in shot-saving abilities (144 saves, 2nd highest behind Raya) and managed to keep 8 Clean sheets till Fulham went on beach mode towards the end of the season. Fulham can be in the middle of a tactical reset with Mitrovic leaving & have some money to spare. The signing of the talented Calvin Bassey or Salisu from Southampton will strengthen the backline. However, they may take time to settle given the delay in signings. Additionally, the first 4 fixtures though absolutely feel like a no-go zone. Leno perhaps is best to be kept in your thoughts till Wildcard 1.

Muric

An Ex-City academy asset, Kompany used his connections to get Muric who was part of the best defensive team in the Championship having conceded only 35 goals. Burnley are expected to play a possession-based football style- keeping a lot of the ball than is generally expected from them. While Burnley might be able to replicate a lot of it with some challenges, their style also means Muric won’t be a big stopper.

The fixtures also don’t help given a blank and them facing City, Spurs & United in the first 6. Muric can be an interesting solution if it comes in the middle of a good run but for now- hold your horses. James Trafford, another Man City academy player and England U21 star has signed for Burnley. There is no confirmation at the moment on who’ll be the first choice as well!

Flekken

Brentford are a strong defensive team when they play at home. They conceded just 18 goals in 19 matches at home with 7 Clean Sheets. Raya of course was a strong factor for the same but so was the defensive line ahead of him. Brentford face Palace, Bournemouth, and Everton at home between GW 3-6 and ideally can get themselves 2/3 clean sheets there but we have to see how Flekken settles (The Fulham match was not a great way to start the pre-season matches). 

I think this is a tricky category- overall Flekken feels like the correct answer but I think with a new goalkeeper we cannot always be sure. Raya was a top-shot saver and we have to see if Flekken is of the same mould. That’s the reason, I would choose the tried and tested- Pickford.

Winner- PICKFORD

FPL Goalkeepers in the 4.0 Million Price Bracket: 

Aerola seems to be the only possible starter in this group and that comes out in his ownership sitting at 30.4%. The only issue is unless we are completely confident here, we can be sitting at a GK with strong sales early on and a possible price drop. I do realize logically people should not be selling their backup GK regardless of starts but with FPL managers being reactive in early GWs, you never know.

The other option is doubling up on your first-choice keeper like Olsen alongside Martinez, Dubravka (if he stays at Newcastle), Strakosha alongside Flekken (if Raya leaves, Raya was not in the squad for Bentford’s latest pre-season game vs Brighton), or Virgina with Pickford. This always feels like the best option for me as it reduces the money spent on the GK slot and helps you redistribute money better.

Winner-NA
In my next article, I would be looking at the best defenders in each price bracket and a bit on the now-forgotten Big at the Back theory. Stay Tuned !!

Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL GW1 of the 2023/24 FPL Season

Pre-Season Friendlies Updates & Fixtures

2023/24 FPL Pre Season: All Clubs Friendlies Fixtures & Updates
2023/24 Pre Season Summary of All 20 Premier League Teams 

FPL GW1 Must Read Articles:
FPL GW1 Scout Picks Based On Stats, Analysis, And Matchups
2023/24 Season: Predicted GW1 Lineups of All 20 PL Teams
Top FPL GW1 Differential Picks To Consider Ahead Of GW1 Deadline
FPL GW1 Team Reveal & Strategy – AllAboutFPL
FPL GW1 Tips & Preview – Breaking Down The Key Dilemmas
FPL Players And Teams To Target From FPL Gameweek 1 To 6 

Drafts for FPL GW1:

FPL Gameweek 1 Drafts with Haaland + Salah and Trent Trio
FPL GW1 Drafts with 3-4-3 Formation | 2023/24 FPL Season 
Initial GW1 Drafts for the 2023/24 Season with Pros and Cons
Top FPL GW1 Differential Picks to Consider Ahead of GW1 Deadline
Four Players Who Have Never Left My FPL GW1 Draft
FPL GW1 Team Reveal & Strategy – AllAboutFPL

FPL Goalkeepers Analysis:

Best FPL Goalkeepers to Target For The 2023/24 FPL Season
Best FPL Goalkeepers at Each Price Point for the 2023/24 Season
FPL Rotational Pairs and Combinations- Defenders and Goal Keepers

2023/24 FPL Season Positional Analysis:

Defenders:
Best £4.0 Million FPL Defenders For The 2023/24 FPL Season
Best £4.5 Million FPL Defenders for the 2023/24 FPL Season
Best £5-£5.5 Million FPL Defenders for the 2023/24 FPL Season 
FPL Rotational Pairs and Combinations- Defenders and Goal Keepers

Midfielders:
£4.5 Million FPL Midfielders Watchlist for the 2023/24 FPL Season
Best £5 & £5.5 Million FPL Midfielders For The 2023/24 FPL Season
Best £6.0 -£7.5 Million FPL Midfielders | 2023/24 Season
Mbeumo vs Mitoma vs Eze vs Diaby- 6.5. FPL Midfielders Comparison and Verdict
Best Premium FPL Midfielders (£8.0 -£12.5 Million) | 23/24 Season

Forwards:
Best Mid-Priced FPL Forwards (£7.0 – £8.0m) | 2023/24 Season
Best FPL Forwards in The £6.0 & £6.5M Price Bracket
Best FPL Budget Forwards (£4.5 – £5.5 Million) | 23/24 Season

Ultimate Guide & FPL Calendar:

Ultimate FPL Pre-Season Guide & Tips for the 2023/24 Season
2023/24 FPL Season Schedule: Key Dates, Information & Timeline

Fixture Analysis:
FPL Fixture Analysis For The 2023/24 FPL Season | PL Fixtures

General FPL Blogs:
FPL Team Structure Guide- 6 Different Team Structures with Drafts, Pros and Cons
Premier League Penalty & Set Piece Takers | 2023/24 PL Season
Best FPL Picks Outside Top 6 Teams | 2023/24 FPL Season
FPL Differentials- Players To Watch Ahead Of The 2023/24 Season
FPL Budget Enablers(Top Budget Picks Position wise)
Under Priced FPL Assets from Big 6 Teams
Best Differential FPL Team For The 2023-2024 Season
Players to Avoid in FPL Ahead of FPL Gameweek 1
Initial Reaction to FPL Player Price Reveals for the 2023/24 FPL Season
List of Free to Join Prize FPL Mini Leagues Ahead of 23/24 Season
FPL Tips and Best Practices to Have an Enjoyable FPL Season
FPL Team ID- What is it? How to get a Low Team ID for 2023/24 FPL Season
Best FPL Team Names for the 2023/24 FPL Season

If you’re new to FPL, here is a link to all our FPL Beginners Guide including FPL Beginner’s Guide- How to play?, Bench boost, Team value, Triple captain, Effective ownership, Price Changes, Free Hit, Bonus Points, and more.

Link to all our 2023/24 Pre-Season articles including all team pre-season friendly updates, team previews, fixture analysis, position-wise analysis, and more. Completely free to access as well!

What’s next from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL Gameweek 1 of the 2023/24 FPL Season?

We’ll be covering team previews for all 20 teams, FPL team structures, must-own players, player comparisons, differential picks, fixture analysis, captaincy metrics, multiple FPL drafts with pros and cons, chip strategy, rules guide, beginners guide, FPL tips, and more. Keep checking allaboutfpl.com for all our blogs and subscribe to our free newsletter through the link below. We’ll also be posting regularly about the same on our social media accounts so follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook keep our notification ON.

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