The Scout assesses the transfer trends of Fantasy Premier League managers since the game launched this week.
David Raya (£4.5m) and Robert Sanchez (£4.5m) have emerged as the most-popular budget goalkeepers for opening squads.
Both can be found in around 15 per cent of teams, more than any other stopper under the cost of £5.0m in Fantasy.
Ten most-owned goalkeepers in Fantasy
| Player | Price | Ownership |
| Mendy (CHE) | £5.0m | 24.0% |
|---|---|---|
| Alisson (LIV) | £5.5m | 18.3% |
| Raya (BRE) | £4.5m | 15.1% |
| Sanchez (BHA) | £4.5m | 14.9% |
| Ederson (MCI) | £5.5m | 13.1% |
| Forster (TOT) | £4.0m | 10.3% |
| Ramsdale (ARS) | £5.0m | 10.0% |
| Gazzaniga (FUL) | £4.0m | 9.6% |
| Henderson (NFO) | £4.5m | 8.2% |
| Pope (NEW) | £5.0m | 6.5% |
Brentford's Raya delivered 4.0 points per match (ppm) last season, an average bettered by only three other regular 'keepers.
And the Bees' schedule gives him the chance to make an immediate impact.
Five of their opening seven matches score only two in the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR).
Sanchez of Brighton & Hove Albion produced 126 points in 2021/22, joint-top with wing-back Marc Cucurella (£5.0m) among their defensive players.
The Seagulls also have a kind run of opponents from the outset, facing only one of last season's top six in their first eight Gameweeks.
Overall, though, it is Chelsea's Edouard Mendy (£5.0m) and Liverpool's Alisson (£5.5m) who are the most-selected goalkeepers, after the former dropped £1.0m in cost from last term and the Reds star fell by £0.5m.
Mendy has earned 24 per cent ownership as a value route into a Chelsea defence that kept 16 clean sheets in 2021/22, a total bettered only by Liverpool and Manchester City.
Alisson was the top-scoring goalkeeper last season, his total of 176 points surpassed by just four defenders.
Nonetheless, the all-round potential of attacking full-backs or wing-backs from both Liverpool and Chelsea deters the appeal of investing in their No 1s.
Grab club back-ups
Owners of £4.0m-priced goalkeepers Fraser Forster and Paulo Gazzaniga should reconsider their plans.
They should instead double up on Brentford's goalkeepers with Raya and his deputy Ellery Balcombe (£4.0m), or pair Sanchez with his Brighton understudy Jason Steele (£4.0m).
By doing so they would still have a starting goalkeeper if their first choice misses out.
Also in this series
Part 1: Most-popular players
Part 3: Premium defenders dominate the charts
Part 4: FPL in demand: Managers flock to Diaz
Part 5: Jesus debut double turns heads
