Who was the best goalkeeper in FPL last season?

Introduction

The 2021/2022 season is over and we now have 38 Gameweeks of stats to look back on to help us pick our FPL teams for next season. Goalkeepers are perhaps the position we give the least amount of thought to, but using a free transfer to change a dud goalkeeper is something most experienced FPL managers would like to avoid. With this in mind, we’re going to delve into the most important goalkeeping stats from last season to try and unearth the best “set-and-forget” options for our Gameweek 1 teams.

The Case For The Premium Goalkeeper

So, who was the best FPL goalkeeper from last season? Well, going off perhaps the most important stat of all – FPL Points – Liverpool’s Alisson, Tottenham Hotspur’s Lloris and Manchester City’s Ederson were the three best keepers with 176 points, 158 points and 155 points respectively. They also made the top three for clean sheets, which perhaps reinforces the old adage that clean sheets are the bread and butter of any FPL keeper. While Lloris got a very respectable 16 clean sheets, Alisson and Ederson kept 20 clean sheets, more than one every other game. Alisson’s minute per save was 42.6 and Ederson’s was 54.6 so they were unlikely to top up their clean sheet points with a save point (3 saves a match for an extra point needs a minutes per save average below 30 minutes). However, it should be noted that Alisson got 15 bonus points (more than any other goalkeeper) and only 11 players (all outfield and more expensive) scored more FPL points than him. Most serious FPL managers will baulk at the idea of paying £6m for a goalkeeper, but a steady stream of 6, 2, 7, 6 points each gameweek could be worth a second thought.

The Budget Options

The stat Big Chances on Target Faced is rarely used, but it is an important one. It stands to reason that the fewer big chances a goalkeeper faces, the more likely it is that their clean sheet will stay intact. Brentford’s Raya Martin excels here: in 24 starts, he has faced just 19 big chances. Crystal Palace’s Guaita has faced 25 big chances in 30 starts. Raya’s minutes per save is 27.7 and Guaita’s is 31.6 so they should be in the mix for 3 saves and an extra point in most games they play. 

Saves from shots outside the box is another good goalkeeping stat to look at because shots from long range are easier to save. This makes it easier for keepers to rack up the saves. Leeds’s Meslier is number 1 for these types of saves with 52, but his xG Prevented is horrendous and the worst in the league at -16.80. This means he conceded nearly 17 more goals than he was expected to concede based on the quality of shots he faced. While we’re on the subject of bad goalkeepers, Ben Foster conceded 49 goals from just 33 big chances faced while playing for relegated Watford last season. For context, Liverpool’s Alisson faced just 5 fewer big chances (28) than Foster, but let in less than half the goals (24).

Conclusion: Go Big Or Go Home?

Topping the table for xG Prevented is Jose Sa at Wolves with +7.50. Sa kept 11 clean sheets in 37 starts, which is a clean sheet roughly every 3 to 4 games. Waiting 3 to 4 Gameweeks for 6 points doesn’t sound overly appealing, but 11 clean sheets actually puts him joint 6th for goalkeeping clean sheets last season. And this is the crux of the dilemma FPL managers face going into the new season. Just 10 points separate the 5th best goalkeeper for FPL points (West Ham’s Fabianski on 136 points) and the 12th best (Brighton’s Sanchez on 126 points). The majority of goalkeepers are packed closely together for points and, unless you are willing to stump up the cash for Alisson, who broke out at the top of the pile, there is no clear standout option between the sticks.