Best FPL players for Gameweek 1: Top 5 best goalkeepers
Abdul Rehman | Thu 04 Aug 2022
Who are the best FPL goalkeepers for Gameweek 1?
Four-time top 1k and six-time top 5k finisher Abdul Rehman uses the Hub's Opta, Prediction, Comparison and Fixture tools to identify the best Fantasy Premier League goalkeepers for Gameweek 1.
Don’t forget to check out our Ultimate FPL Gameweek 1 Guide, which has everything you need to make the best decisions ahead of the deadline.
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Best FPL players for Gameweek 1: Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards
Best FPL Goalkeepers for Gameweek 1
Ilan Meslier (£4.5m) – Leeds United
Fixture: Wolves (H)
Islan Meslier actually made the most saves of any keeper last season (143) but still finished as the 15th highest scoring goalkeeper (106 points).
Clean sheets were obviously a problem for Leeds United, with them keeping the second fewest in the league (5).
He does have potential though, as seen in his first season in 2020/21, where he finished as the third highest scoring goalkeeper with 154 points.
It’s hard to say if Leeds will improve defensively this season, but it was clear Jesse Marsh had a more pragmatic approach than his predecessor.
The Whites did improve at the back since his appointment, and the signing of a promising defensive midfielder in USA International Tyler Adams (£5.0m) should also help to shore up the backline.
Leeds also have a very favourable fixture in Gameweek 1 from a defensive viewpoint. They play goal-shy Wolves who only scored 38 goals (eighteenth) with an xG of 44.23 (seventeenth). Also with their main goalscorer Raul Jimenez (£7.0m) out injured they fill find it even more difficult to score.
Nick Pope (£5.0m) – Newcastle United
Fixture: Nottingham Forest (H)
Nick Pope has been a solid goalkeeper option during his time in the Premier League.
His previous exploits have come while playing for Burnley, but he has now moved on to a much better side in Newcastle United.
He finished as the highest scoring goalkeeper in the game in 2019/20, while also making the fourth most saves (120).
Last season was pretty poor by his standards, but he was playing for a team who were very weak, and subsequently got relegated.
He still managed to make the fourth most saves (121) and is a good, consistent shot-stopper.
Newcastle are a much different side to the start of last season. Defensively, they should be much better; Nick Pope and Sven Botman (both £4.5m) are some of the signings they have made at the back, which will no doubt improve them.
The Toon have one of the best fixtures of the Gameweek as they welcome Nottingham Forest to St. James Park. They are actually third favourites to keep a clean sheet (44%) according to the bookmakers.
Also, our Points Prediction Tool ranks him as the second highest scoring keeper for Gameweek 1 at 4.3 points.
Danny Ward (£4.0m) – Leicester City
Fixture: Brentford (H)
Leicester City had a torrid time last season in defence.
It was a poor year for them by all accounts, but a lot of that was down to the numerous injuries they suffered in defence throughout the campaign.
Now with Kasper Schmeichel departing the club, we have two £4.0m goalkeepers to pick from Leicester. Danny Ward is likely to get the number one spot and he provides great value. Any playing £4.0m goalkeeper does.
The Foxes are bound to have a better season than last, and I can see them not only finishing up higher in the table (8th) but also keeping a lot more clean sheets.
Last season they conceded 59 goals (14th) with an xGC of 68.1 (18th) but they do start this season with a favourable home game against Brentford.
They will have a decent chance to keep a clean sheet in this fixture, and Ward also acts as an enabler to bolster other areas in your squad.
Hugo Lloris (£5.5m) – Spurs
Fixture: Southampton (H)
The Frenchman was the second-highest scoring goalkeeper (158) last season and also the third-highest scoring Spurs player.
I think his price is probably fair, even though their defence is nowhere near as good as City or Liverpool’s at the moment.
However, now set for a full season with Conte and the additions they have made, they will most definitely improve at the back.
In addition, the Frenchman made and will continue to make a lot more saves than Ederson and Alisson. He made 98 last season, while Allison and Ederson made 76 and 60 respectively.
The difference with Lloris though, is that Spurs’ defenders are the same price, or cheaper.
Ivan Perisic comes in at £5.5m and Matt Doherty at £5.0m. This does therefore lessen his appeal somewhat.
Lloris does however provide the security of starts, so he is actually the much safer option if you want to start with a Tottenham player at the back.
Their opening fixture is as good as it gets, with Spurs playing Southampton at home.
Lloris is the joint highest predicted scoring goalkeeper (4.3 points) according to our Points Prediction Tool.
Ederson (£5.5m) – Manchester City
Fixture: West Ham United (a)
Ederson finished on 155 points last season, just three points behind Lloris.
He also kept 20 clean sheets (first) and plays for the best defence in the league.
Manchester City conceded 26 goals (first) with an xGC of 29.5 (first) and it’s very likely City will finish this season as the first or second best defensive team again.
The advantage we get with Ederson is that he is the most nailed player in that side. He started 37 games last season, and I don’t see that changing.
The defenders will no doubt score more than him when they start, but they don’t provide the security of starts he does.
So the Brazilian is not only a good pick for Gameweek 1, but perhaps until we use our first wildcards.
City don’t have the best fixture to start the season, with an away trip to West Ham. However, their defence is that good and still makes Ederson a good pick this week.
The bookmakers agree, ranking them as the second favourites to keep a clean sheet at 46%.
Hub Power Rankings
To conclude, I will rank these Gameweek 1 defenders in accordance with our Power Rankings for Hub members.