Original Commissioner and StatrDraft gameweaver-in-chief Jimi takes a look at the top fantasy goalkeepers for the season ahead. Don’t forget to check out our tips on midfielders and defenders!
It’s early August, maybe even late July. You’re a few beers, a few burgers, and 5 rounds of drafting deep. Everyone’s having a great time. You didn’t get everything you wanted from the top three rails, but you were satisfied at the level of swearing from your friends at every pick you made, knowing you got what they wanted. All is flowing nicely, and the banter has been replaced with focus and friendly rivalry. You and your squad have been doing this for a while, so nobody’s getting silly with their picks yet, except that one guy that started drinking at noon and keeps demanding midfielders from teams that have been relegated.
And then someone smashes the glass marked “CHAOS”, presses the big yellow button, and drafts…a goalie. There’s a split second of hesitation, a collective hope that it’s not happening, and the pressure of a thousand suns on the next coach making their pick. They can stop this. They can take the chance. They can hope that everyone else ignores what’s happening too, and you can all go right back to mids and strikers. But let’s be honest, they’d be insane to take the chance on trusting everyone else , so they pick a goalie too. And so does the next coach. and the next. And now the draft has become the floor of a stock exchange on a Monday morning, with the unprepared furiously googling transfer news while the smug coach that started the run thinking he’s great for picking (let’s be honest) a goalie from Arsenal, City or Liverpool. The last coach on the goalie rush is already sobbing quietly as they skim the mid-table leftovers. The rush is over. You either got there early or got left out in the cold.
Except…it doesn’t have to be this way, if you’re crafty about it. Sure, when one lemming shouts “goalie” then it’s strategically vital to follow, unless of course you can be the one to start it in the first place. But if you’re playing Draft Classic you’re going to need more than one big lad to stop the shots. In fact your sub goalie is as just important, given that a, you must have one, and b, everyone else has to have one too. So you can wait until the dying embers of round 18, or like some sort of Alpha Sigma Tango Whatsit (fuck this zoomer language, seriously) you can assert dominance and immediately pick your sub goalie as well. Today we’re going to take a look at two very obvious first team goalies (if you can get them), and two that are easily overlooked because they’re way, way down the overall points table for last season.
Jordan Pickford (Everton)
Top scoring goalie in both FPL and Statr last year, Jordan Pickford ticks every single box for what to look for in goalies
- Makes saves
- Has the opportunity to make saves because he’s playing in front of a shit defence
- Experienced PL player
- Aggressive lunatic
- No rotation risk
- No European fixtures
- No transfer risk
His stats are phenomenal. 50+ clearances, only 44 goals conceded in the bottom half of the table, the full 38 games played, and not one but two penalties saved along the way. Everton may be on their way back, but Pickford will still be the best line of defence. He’s been a must-draft for half a decade now and this season is no different. If you’re the maniac that starts the rush, this is how you do it.
Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest)
Sels was simply outstanding last season, whether that was during the meteoric start of the season or the wet fart performances in the late stages of the year at the City Ground. His stats on saves, clearances, goals conceded and clean sheets were almost identical to Pickford’s, with his tendency toward aerial victory (and better yellow card avoidance) being the differentiators. There’s no lack of composure though (as Brighton fans will know), and no apparent threat of exit or rotation risk. So what’s the catch?
Nobody truly knows if Nuno can have another season like last year. He appears to be going into the new campaign with an almost unchanged squad, hinting at similar tactics. The thing about the Prem is, you can either adapt or you can die, and Forest’s amazing year gone by may be more challenging with European football in play. Sels could see himself rested ahead of key overseas fixtures. That notwithstanding, if he’s on the pitch, he’s going to perform.
Caoimhin Kelleher (Brentford FC)
Kelleher showed us all what he can do in his few premier league appearances for Liverpool last season, and – as we had all hoped for the sake of his career – he now moves to Brentford as their first-choice goalie rather than languishing on the bench at Anfield. He scores a whopping 8.58 points per game (beating Alisson, Sanchez, Pope and Raya) during his 10 games last season for Pool. The question has always been whether he could repeat that performance across the ardours of a 38-game season. The answer? Brentford want to find out. There’s no rotation risk here either, with the magnificent Mark Flekken off to the Bundesliga after an amazing season.
So why is this even remotely risky? Well, Brentford have just lost their long-time manager Thomas Frank to Spurs, so there’s an element of transition to the expectations of Brentford next season. Kelleher will be fine, but will Brentford? Here at Statr we reckon it’s the perfect cocktail of a weakened defence with a strong keeper, so if somehow this man is available when it’s time for a sub goalie, jump on it.
Neto (AFC Bournemouth)
Draft isn’t draft unless you’re willing to take a risk, and this is a pretty big one. We haven’t been shy around these parts about expecting a rough year ahead for Bournemouth, but there may be a gem amidst the burning rubble. Neto has returned from his furtive loan at Arsenal, with Kepa heading back out the gap, making him a nailed-on starting goalie for at least 30 games. Bournemouth’s expected woes are largely tied to an outbound exodus of world-class defenders, meaning the Cherries goalie this year will be, above all else, much busier. Neto absolutely shone in his two PL appearances for Arsenal last season, racking up a whopping 10.28 points per game. A small sample size, to be sure, but if he can come anywhere near that sort of tally in a team with no other keeper choices, he might be the sleeper keeper of the season.
Jimi Kavanagh, July 2025
Comments are closed