What to look for when selecting your DraftKings Goalkeeper

You may recall that in That Goalkeeper Win Bonus we looked at the DraftKings goalkeeper selection for their 8 a-side daily fantasy football format. Since then however, they have restructured their soccer product in anticipation of a UK launch and users are now required to select 11 players from the $50,000 budget. There have been some rules changes affecting crosses and discipline so managers should ensure that they are up to speed with the exact scoring format and it should also be noted that a new statistics provider in the form of OPTA is being utilised.

We’ve looked at the 11 goalkeepers who have been ever-present this season and have calculated what fantasy points per game (FPPG) distribution you can expect from Mr. Average.

It’s easy to discount discipline from your reasoning. In terms of fouls won, fouls committed, tackles made and cards received you can pretty much throw a blanked over them. Goalkeepers rarely commit infringements and even cautions for the likes of time-wasting aren’t severely punished. The following table lists the 11 goalkeepers who have played every Premier League minute so far this season.

 If you aggregate the average points for clean sheets and goals conceded you arrive at a goals against figure and it’s clear to see that there are some marked differences. The best performing goalkeeper is +1 point compared with -3.92 points for the worst.

Petr Cech comfortably leads the way, proving that he still has plenty to offer and he has certainly boosted Arsenal’s title aspirations. The veteran remains a fine keeper and has no notable weaknesses while his key strengths are highlighted by these WhoScored player characteristics. The ability to win matches, collecting those 5 bonus points in the process should never be under-estimated and if the victory comes with a clean sheet then that is the icing on the cake.

 Liverpool face a daunting trip to Manchester City at the weekend and Simon Mignolet is averaging the lowest points per game for saves made which is somewhat surprising when you bear in mind that Jurgen Klopp’s new side have already encountered some brutal early season away fixtures. They have played matches at Arsenal, Manchester United, Everton, Tottenham and Chelsea so you might have expected the Belgian stopper to have been getting his gloves dirty a bit more frequently. It will be interesting to follow his progress as the fixture list eases and see what impact the arrival of Klopp has on Liverpool’s win ratio.

The win bonus certainly emphasises the significance of the goal expectancies we provide each week in our Hotcard section as those tables also include the probability of a home victory so always reference them before finalising your choice between the sticks. Getting the right man in goal could just tip a daily fantasy football contest in your favour!