Finding the right budget goalkeeper can make a big difference in your Fantasy Premier League (FPL) squad. With the 2024/25 season underway here are five affordable goalkeepers who offer great value without breaking the bank.
These picks allow you to allocate more of your budget to other positions ensuring you get the best out of your FPL team.
Also Read: 5 Best Budget Midfielders to Buy in FPL 2024/25 season
Bargain Buys at £4.5m
Selecting a goalkeeper priced at £4.5m is a popular strategy among FPL managers. These keepers often provide solid returns for a fraction of the cost. Look for those who are the clear first-choice for their club and have a good run of fixtures.
Rotating two £4.5m keepers based on matchups can help you maximize points while keeping costs low.
The £4.0m Gamble
If you’re really tight on budget a £4.0m goalkeeper might be the way to go. While these players are typically backups there’s always a chance one could step up due to injuries or managerial changes.
Each season, there’s usually at least one budget goalkeeper who stands out. Let’s have a look at the 5 Best Budget Goalkeepers to Buy in the FPL 24/25 Season:
Best Budget Goalkeepers for the upcoming FPL Season
Mark Flekken (£4.5m) – Brentford
Brentford’s Mark Flekken (£4.5m) was the highest-scoring £4.5m goalkeeper this season. He preserved seven clean sheets and made 115 saves, ranking fourth among £4.5 million goalkeepers. Brentford had the sixth-best anticipated goals conceded (xGC) of 55.7.
The Bees had some favorable matchups to begin the season. In the first 11 games, they will face Crystal Palace (H), Southampton (H), West Ham United (H), Wolves (H), Ipswich (H) and Bournemouth (H).
Thomas Frank’s squad sits in the middle of the table, and while many teams will keep more clean sheets than them, they will also concede a fair number of shots, which bodes well for the keeper’s chances.
Flekken also plays well with Dean Henderson (£4.5 million) and Alex McCarthy (£4.5 million), who are starters for Crystal Palace and Southampton, respectively. I believe Flekken could even play as a lone keeper with a £4.0 million backup.
The goalkeeper position is the most difficult to forecast and accounts for the majority of surprising hauls.
Dean Henderson (£4.5m) – Crystal Palace
Henderson played the final ten games of the previous season and appears to be the number one under Oliver Glasner, ahead of Sam Johnstone (£4.5 million). Johnstone has recently been linked with several clubs after requesting a transfer. As a result, Henderson appears to be the undisputed number-one goalkeeper.
Crystal Palace actually has a pretty strong backline. They only conceded 58 goals (fifth-best) last season, with an xGC of 53.7. They also appear to be a completely reinvigorated side under Glasner on both ends of the pitch.
The Eagles also kept a strong 10 clean sheets, and their early season matchups appear promising for defensive returns. They also kept a strong 10 clean sheets, and their early season matchups appear promising for defensive returns.
Matz Sels (£4.5m) – Nottingham Forest
Sels looks to be Nottingham Forest’s first priority. Forest is an underestimated defense that could truly surprise us. Despite conceding 67 goals (16th) last season, they had the league’s fourth-best xGC (53.4).
This is shocking, but it demonstrates that with a better and more consistent goalie, they should concede far fewer goals and have many more clean sheets. This is shocking, but it demonstrates that with a better and more consistent goalie, they should concede far fewer goals and have many more clean sheets.
They play Bournemouth (H), Southampton (a), Wolves (H), Fulham (H), Palace (H), Leicester City (A) and West Ham United (H) throughout the first ten games.
Robert Sánchez (£4.5m) – Chelsea
Chelsea has one more pre-season friendly to play at the time of writing, which might be critical in solving the conundrum of the Blues’ number-one goalkeeper. Robert Sánchez played the first four friendlies, while new acquisition Filip Jörgensen (£4.5 million) took part in the fifth.
Another start for Sánchez would certainly solidify his role as the primary shot-stopper in Gameweek 1. It may be too risky for FPL managers to start the Spaniard without a playing backup though.
But whoever secures the starting slot looks like a terrific value at £4.5 million, and given the quality of their defensive players, we anticipate them to improve on the season. The Blues conceded 63 goals (12th) last season and had an xGC of 58.6 (ninth). Aside from Gameweek 1, they have several excellent early-season matchups. Their matches from Gameweeks 2-7 appear to have solid defensive returns.
After facing Manchester City (H) in the first week of the season, Enzo Maresca’s side will face Wolves (A), Crystal Palace (H), Bournemouth (A), West Ham United (A), Brighton and Hove Albion (H) and Nottingham Forest (H).
Alphonse Areola (£4.5m) – West Ham United
Last season he delivered 116 points in FPL and was ranked on 6th in terms of total points scored. Alphonse Areola was consistent as he gained around 3.7 points per match which is a good number for a goalkeeper who is only available for around £4.5m.
The West Ham custodian missed out on some games last season due to injury. Thus, he has only represented the London club for 36 fixtures overall since he arrived in 2022.
Łukasz Fabiański (£4.0m) would only get a chance if Alphonse Areola gets injured in games this season but one can surely rely on the West Ham United goalkeeper if your budget is tight.
Also Read: Five Tips for Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 1 | FPL