fantasy premier league “ones to watch” – goalkeepers

Here’s the first of my “ones to watch” articles outlining the best players in each position in the Barclays fantasy premier league format. We’re starting with goalkeepers

There are 2 schools of thought here.  The first is to go wth an elite keeper and either a cheap playing reserve or even gamble on a cheaper non playing reserve.  The second is to rotate home and away with the 2 cheapest playing keepers.

This year the gap between the 2 has lessened with their being value in GKs at the elite level.  Additionally, the increased rotation of the elite club defenders means a GK is a way of getting coverage without the juicy easy home games seeing mass defensive rotation.  Rotation of GKs in fantasy premier league games doesnt happen that regularly and it’s mainly focused on the domestic cups. 

I’m going to focus on elite pairings firstly with a non playing reserve.  The reasoning behind this is that GKs are rarely injured or rotated so its a gamble worth taking to preserve £0.5m in my view.  Anyway, if you have to use 1 transfer to fix it so be it. its not the end of the world.    Having looked at all the options my best non playing reserve is Davis of Southampton at £4.0m

Mignolet (£5.5m) and Davis (£4.0m) 

For £9.5m last year there were 16 clean sheets for Liverpool which is pretty good going considering this year the cheapest rotation pair will be £9.0m for 2  keepers of teams for far less quality.  Mignolet has no serious competition and apart from any injury should play every fantasy premier league game.  This is my number 1 pairing

Cech  (£6.5m) and Davis (£4.0m) 

With Cole possibly the only defender safe from fantasy premier league rotation (Bertrand will be focused on the domestic cups in my view) then Cech gives a rotation free entry to the Chelsea defence and the double game week 1 (although no keeper in GW3)  which you would think will improve on their 14 clean sheets of last year.  Its £1.0m more expensive than the Mignolet option above but it does mean you  can avoid buyng Cole or such like for the DGW.

Who I’m not choosing…

Szczesny (£5.5m) and Davis.  There was too much changing with Fabianski last year which means you would have to upgrade the reserve to Marshall say at £4.5m as a reserve taking the total to £10m and this becomes dearer than the Mignolet option.   However you do get the chance to use Toure at £5.0m without a risky Liverpool double up, to help bridge the gap.

Hart (£6.5m) and Davis.  The pre-season hasn’t been exactly a success for Pellegrini’s  defence and it does bring in to question the prospects of repeating the 18 clean sheets of last year.  Personally, if I’m going to pay £6.5m I’ll get Kompany and his goals and bonus points.  Theres also Nastasic at £5.5m who should be regular when fit again and Clichy at £6.0m to go for

De Gea (£6.0m) and Davis.  13 clean sheets last year for Man Utd but again you would have to back up with a £4.5m playing keeper as Lindegaard does have rotation possibilities.   

Ok so lets now look at the cheap home and away rotation options:

Speroni (£4.5m) and McGregor (£4.5m)

To save £0.5m you can get the 2 relegation favourites according to William Hill at 8/15 and 4/6 respectively as I look now.  If you did this last year for say QPR and Reading you wuld have gotten 9 clean sheets if you had perfect home and away rotation.  With such a pairing you do get save points and bonus points as theyre obviously busier but you do lose 1 point when 2 goals are conceded

There’s no other good home and away rotation that costs £9.0m.  Let’s look at some of the options which I’ve discounted.

Mannone (£4.5m) and Krul (£5.0m).  Last year this would have given 11 clean sheets betwen them for home games.

Guzan (£5.0m) and Foster (£5.0m).  Last year this would have given 9 clean sheets

Vorm(£5.0m)  and Marshall (£4.5m).  No last year but Swansea got 5 home clean sheets

Ruddy (£5.0m) and Begovic (£5.5m).  15 clean sheets last year but Stoke won’t be as defensively strong this year under Hughes

Jaas (£5.5m) and Boruc (£4.5m).  9 clean sheets last year

So as you can see the elite keeper option and especially the Mignolet one seems to be the best option easily

Thats it for barclays fantasy premier league GKs