The Scout compares players' statistics, prices and fixtures in each position to help managers pick their opening squads for 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League, ahead of the Gameweek 1 deadline at 18:30 BST on Friday 16 August.
Goalkeepers
The displays of Everton's Jordan Pickford (£5.0m) in Fantasy last season showed why so many managers choose a budget goalkeeper who offers multiple routes to returns.
Listed at £4.5m for the start of 2023/24, Pickford was the top-scoring ‘keeper in Fantasy, with 153 points.
Not only did he keep 13 clean sheets, he also earned a further 29 save points and 22 bonus points. That combined total of 51 additional points was almost the equivalent of 13 extra clean sheets.
Henderson has early schedule to thrive under Glasner
Crystal Palace’s performances under Oliver Glasner last season suggest Dean Henderson (£4.5m) can offer big value in the Austrian’s first full campaign in charge.
After Glasner was appointed head coach in Gameweek 25, Palace conceded just 15 goals – the third-best defensive record in the league. They collected five clean sheets over those 14 encounters, placing them joint-third with Everton, behind Arsenal and Manchester City.
Henderson established himself as the Eagles’ No 1 for Glasner and has also started their last two summer friendlies, being preferred to Sam Johnstone (£4.5m).
Henderson under Glasner in GWs 25-38 2023/24
| Player | Starts | Clean sheets | Bonus points | Pts/match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dean Henderson | 10 | 4 | 8 | 3.8 |
| Mark Flekken | 15 | 3 | 21 | 3.5 |
| Alphonse Areola | 10 | 0 | 20 | 3.5 |
| Jose Sa | 13 | 1 | 19 | 3.3 |
| Neto | 11 | 2 | 11 | 3.0 |
When comparing other £4.5m priced 2024/25 goalkeepers in that same period, Henderson took top spot with an average of 3.8 points per match (ppm).
Notably, he bettered the 3.5ppm of Brentford’s Mark Flekken (£4.5m), whose 119 points in 2023/24 was more than any other budget goalkeeper who managers can pick in Fantasy this season.
Palace’s early schedule is another big factor in Henderson’s favour here. According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), three of their first four matches score just two. That includes a visit to Brentford and home meetings with West Ham United and promoted Leicester City.
Why Maresca can unlock the next Pickford
Chelsea are also among the clubs with a budget starting goalkeeper in 2024/25, with Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen (both £4.5m) competing for the No 1 spot under Enzo Maresca.
While Sanchez has started each of the Blues’ four summer friendlies, it remains to be seen whether Jorgensen arrives as only a back-up for the Spaniard.
Granted, Chelsea have a tough home match against Man City to start the new season, but you need to look beyond that with a goalkeeper and plan further ahead, because you don’t really want to be spending any transfers in this position.
According to the FDR, all six of Chelsea’s matches from Gameweeks 2-7 score only two – the most favourable run in the league.
Areola and Fabianski the best £8.5m pairing?
If you’re looking for ways to save budget, West Ham are among the very few clubs who guarantee a £4.5m starting goalkeeper and a £4.0m back-up.
The arrival of Julen Lopetegui as head coach can help lift the appeal of Hammers pair Alphonse Areola (£4.5m) and Lukasz Fabianski (£4.0m).
Lopetegui had a big impact on the Wolverhampton Wanderers defence in his previous spell in the Premier League. They kept seven clean sheets from Gameweek 19 onwards in the 2022/23 campaign under the Spaniard, equalling Arsenal and Manchester City.
Brentford’s Flekken and Hakon Valdimarsson (£4.0m) and Wolves’ Jose Sa (£4.5m) and Daniel Bentley (£4.0m) offer further £8.5m pairings.
Why Raya may actually be great value
Managers typically baulk at a premium-priced stopper, but Arsenal’s David Raya (£5.5m) may just prove to be the exception.
The Spaniard won the Golden Glove award with 16 clean sheets in his 32 appearances last season, an impressive 50 per cent return rate. Indeed, his 4.2ppm eclipsed the 4.0ppm of Pickford in Fantasy.
Arsenal boasted the league’s meanest defence in 2023/24, with their 18 clean sheets being five more than any other side.
It was the Gunners’ resilience on the road, in particular, that shows why manages should view their backline assets as “set and forget” options.
Arsenal’s total of 11 clean sheets on their travels was more than any other side managed either home OR away in 2023/24.
Despite his cost of £5.5m, Raya still offers the cheapest route into Mikel Arteta’s defence, which has been boosted further by the arrival of left-back Riccardo Calafiori (£6.0m) from Bologna.
Raya’s price relative to that of his team-mates should also be considered when looking at other goalkeepers in the £5.0m+ bracket.
With the exception of perhaps only Arsenal and Man City, every goalkeeper has a team-mate starting in defence who is cheaper in Fantasy, which essentially dilutes the goalkeeper’s appeal as the best source of value for your opening squad.
The fact that Raya is cheaper than Arsenal's first-choice defenders means he could be the best way to invest in their rearguard.
