With 2020/21 Fantasy Premier League now over, The Scout reviews each position to highlight lessons from the season and players to consider next term.
Goalkeeper
In his debut campaign for Aston Villa, Emiliano Martinez showed there are numerous factors to consider when picking a goalkeeper in Fantasy.
The Argentinian finished the season as the top-scoring goalkeeper in the game, with 186 points.
That total was 26 points ahead of any rival and ranked seventh in the overall standings.
Martinez's season
| 2020/21 | Total | Goalkeeper rank |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 186 | 1 |
| Clean sheets | 15 | 3 |
| Saves | 142 | 3 |
| Bonus points | 27 | 1 |
Martinez returned 15 clean sheets, four fewer than Golden Glove-winner Ederson.
However, his ability to deliver additional points from saves and bonus helped him to top spot.
The Villa man made 142 saves, more than twice the 66 of Manchester City's No 1.
Indeed, Martinez earned a total of 35 points from saves alone, the equivalent of almost nine extra clean sheets.
Martinez's total of 27 bonus points also ranked first for goalkeepers, and third overall.
Only the two top-scoring players in 2020/21 Fantasy, Bruno Fernandes and Harry Kane, surpassed that tally, with 36 and 40 respectively.
Martinez's saves and clean sheets
After starting the campaign at £4.5m, there is no doubt Martinez will rise in cost next season.
Fantasy managers tend to look for value when selecting their goalkeepers, but Villa's No 1 could still be worth the investment given his multiple routes to returns.
Burnley’s Nick Pope and Leeds United's Illan Meslier are further examples.
They were both among the top six goalkeepers for saves and bonus points, while only four players in their position bettered their 11 clean sheets.
Martin Dubravka could be another to consider in 2021/22.
Newcastle United's No 1 enjoyed a strong end to this season after returning from injury in Gameweek 26.
He earned 11 save points in his 13 appearances, in addition to three clean sheets and six bonus.
Also in this series
Part 2: FPL positions: Promoted goalkeepers among best for value
Part 3: FPL positions: Full-backs dominant in defence
Part 4: FPL positions: Tuchel’s Chelsea the best defence
Part 5: FPL positions: Midfielders merit more attention
Part 6: FPL positions: Lingard shows promise with league's top form
Part 7: FPL positions: Rely on Kane against lower-ranked sides
Part 8: FPL positions: Iheanacho and Watkins can push on