The goalkeepers are the last line of defense on the pitch and the very best of them can routinely steal points for their clubs with exceptional performances. There is a relevant balance between individual skill and situation when it comes to evaluating goalkeepers from a fantasy perspective because it doesn’t matter how many saves a goalkeeper makes if the team in front of him doesn’t help him earn bonuses for wins, goals allowed and clean sheets. That means we’re looking for the blend. The teams with the most wins on the year were Leicester City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester City and Manchester United. However, the teams that allowed the fewest goals were Tottenham, Manchester United, Leicester City, Arsenal, Manchester City and Southampton. That means we should see a number of those teams’ main man when we look at the top four fantasy goalkeepers in the Premier League for the 2016 season.
David de Gea, Manchester United
United’s star goalkeeper once again took care of business throughout a tumultuous season in which a lot of things went wrong around him this season and it shouldn’t be a surprise to see him at the top of this list. His 83 saves were a big reason why United matched Tottenham with the fewest goals conceded at 35 and that was key to the team’s overall success as their offensive attack was far too inconsistent throughout this season. De Gea also benefited from an impressive 17 clean sheets to top off the best overall fantasy score at his position for this season. United finished the season giving up just 35 goals this season, which was tied for the fewest in the EPL.
Kasper Schmeichel, Leicester City
Schmeichel was somewhat overlooked when it came to talking about Leicester City’s surprising success early on this season but nobody was overlooking his contribution by the time it was finished. Schmeichel finished the season with 99 saves and only 36 goals conceded while registering an impressive 15 clean sheets. The team in front of him wasn’t nearly as efficient defensively as United and that makes the fact that he managed to make this list with the second-best fantasy score at his position that much more impressive. Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and the other offensive players received the bulk of the attention at Leicester City this season but Schmeichel undoubtedly deserves his due for the role he played in the club’s success. The 36 goals that Leicester City allowed this season was the second-fewest in the EPL only behind Manchester United and Tottenham.
Petr Cech, Arsenal
Cech revived his soccer career with an outstanding performance at Arsenal this season as he bounced back following a slow start to prove that he still belongs in this elite class. Cech finished the season with 101 saves compared to only 31 goals allowed and 16 clean sheets. His performance ended a rotating door in goal for the Gunners and was a big reason why they thrived down the stretch en route to finishing second in the table. The gap between de Gea, Schmiechel and Cech was extremely small and there really is no doubt that they separated themselves as the three best Premier League goalkeepers from a fantasy perspective this season. The 36 goals that Arsenal allowed tied them for the second-fewest in the EPL with Leicester City. Only Man U and Tottenham allowed less.
Joe Hart, Manchester City
Liverpool’s Simon Mignolet and Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris were both given consideration in this spot but were edged out by Hart for the final spot on this list. Hart made 71 saves compared to 36 goals conceded but benefited tremendously from 15 clean sheets that helped him edge out the competition. City eventually settled for fourth in the table but that had little to do with Hart as he delivered another strong campaign as one of the top fantasy goalkeepers in the Premier League this season. City allowed 41 goals this season but at the offensive end, their 71 goals led the league. That’s part of what helped Hart and company get some wins and make him one of the more valuable fantasy goalkeepers.
