The Fantasy Football Scout 2022/23 end-of-season awards are up and running, with the poll for best goalkeeper open for voting in this article and on the sidebar.
We’ll be assessing the key candidates in each position in four separate articles, starting with this piece on the men between the sticks.
Overall score, points per match and value in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) were all factors we considered when compiling this shortlist – the rest we’ll leave up to you.
2022/23 CANDIDATES
NICK POPE
- Points: 157
- Points per match: 4.24
- Start cost: £5.0m
- End cost: £5.4m
If it wasn’t for his latest 17 matches, this could’ve been quite a straightforward vote. By the end of Gameweek 21, Newcastle United’s Nick Pope had bagged his sixth consecutive clean sheet for over 2.6 million managers. Only two goals had been conceded in 11 games, with no team close to the Magpies’ total of 12 clean sheets.
However, their subsequent push for Champions League football has seen more goals at both ends of the pitch. Two shut-outs have arrived in these 17 matches, as FPL managers slowly turned away from a defensive double-up with Kieran Trippier (£6.0m).
Despite being sent off against Liverpool in Gameweek 24, Pope played all league games except the final day and is one of three goalkeepers to save multiple penalties. What has generally hindered his FPL season is playing behind a defence that has only allowed 127 shots on target, the second-fewest, meaning a low 87 saves have been made.
DAVID RAYA
- Points: 166
- Points per match: 4.37
- Start cost: £4.5m
- End cost: £4.8m
Whereas David Raya is a sweet mix of solid clean sheets (12) and making lots of saves from poorer, non-threatening shots. Throughout the campaign, Brentford have conceded the second-most shots on target (197) whilst allowing the fourth-fewest big chances (67) – no team has a bigger difference between these numbers.
His 154 stops, 39 save points and 20 bonuses all rank first, alongside a save percentage of 78.2% which is best among regular starters. There was even time for an own goal.
It’ll be an interesting few months for Raya, whose 2024 contract expiry may lead to a summer sale. If he gets a 2023/24 FPL price before leaving for one of the ‘top’ teams, the Spaniard could remain a bargain.
DAVID DE GEA
- Points: 161
- Points per match: 4.24
- Start cost: £5.0m
- End cost: £5.1m
Sticking with Spain, it feels like David De Gea‘s FPL success is more about the team rather than the individual. Clean sheets have escalated since the Gameweek 17 restart, with 12 from 24 outings guaranteeing that Manchester United will end this season with the league’s most.
However, his bonus points (5) and save percentage (71.1%) totals are the lowest of these contenders, whilst he’s also the only one with a negative number for expected goals (xG) prevented (-0.70). This is because Man United have conceded 43 goals but their xG from shots conceded on target was less.
Nevertheless, he is the third-highest-scoring goalkeeper and being a strong alternative to defender Luke Shaw (£5.3m) means his season ended with peak ownership.
ALISSON
- Points: 162
- Points per match: 4.38
- Start cost: £5.5m
- End cost: £5.5m
What’s snuck under the radar in FPL is that Alisson actually sits number two amongst stoppers. Managers tended to ditch Liverpool’s defensive assets after a start of two clean sheets from eight matches was soon followed by none between Gameweeks 13 and 20, by which point where they were third-worst for conceding big chances.
They’ve remained in that position until the end, yet are ranked joint-second for clean sheets (14). Meanwhile, Alisson’s +8.50 xG prevented is way ahead of third place and he’s one of four goalkeepers to have an assist, setting up Mohamed Salah‘s (£13.1m) October winner against Manchester City
Finishing in 4.06% of the top 100k squads, the 30-year-old had barely been touched because of Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s (£7.8m) existence but he has six more points. It’s been an underrated FPL year for the Brazilian.
KEPA ARRIZABALAGA
- Points: 118
- Points per match: 4.07
- Start cost: £4.5m
- End cost: £4.5m
Without an appearance until Gameweek 9, late starter Kepa Arrizabalaga is down in 12th for total points but has a match average that sits alongside the best. He was particularly popular ahead of the post-World Cup restart, where unlimited free transfers allowed an extra 400,000 managers to jump onto the Chelsea keeper and they soon received four clean sheets from seven matches.
People thought they were getting a ‘top six’ keeper for a bargain price but, unfortunately for them, no more than two have arrived since Gameweek 22, as mediocre Chelsea continued to disappoint in the bottom half.
Even so, his save percentage of 75.8% is only slightly behind Raya.
NOT QUITE MAKING THE CUT
A few other goalkeepers definitely need mentioning. The only others to join Pope on four double-digit hauls are Jose Sa (£5.0m) and Bernd Leno (£4.6m).
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ stopper has a clean sheet from four of the last five Molineux games and only Man United kept more at home. He also has the second-highest number of bonus points (18) behind Raya.
Leno is third with 17 but ranks second for save points (37). Fulham’s back line peaked during a Gameweek 17 to 24 run, letting in four goals during nine matches, allowing the German to end the season with the league’s best xG prevented score of +9.70.
Elsewhere, Dean Henderson‘s (£4.6m) 82 points were the next-best after Pope by the time of his season-ending injury. He’d saved two penalties, whilst the cheap Jason Steele (£4.0m) has made a late push since starting in Gameweek 26. Six clean sheets from 15 appearances, averaging 4.33 points.
