Profile
Jordan Pickford is Everton’s first choice goalkeeper and one of the most recognisable set and forget options in FPL. Listed at £5.6m, after opening the season at £5.5m and rising by £0.1m, he sits in the awkward middle ground between budget goalkeeper and premium security. What keeps him relevant is role certainty. He has played 3150 minutes, which tells you everything about his place in the side, and his current status is a, so there is no fitness flag attached.
For Everton, Pickford’s value is straightforward. He is there for save volume, clean sheet potential and occasional bonus collection when Everton grind out low scoring results. He offers nothing in attacking output, with 0 goals and 0 assists, so the case is entirely built on defensive returns and reliability of starts.
This-season output
Pickford has delivered 129 total points at 3.7 points per game, which is a solid return for a goalkeeper in this price bracket, even if it is not elite. His recent numbers are less encouraging, with a form of 0.8 across the last five gameweeks, a clear sign that managers buying now are doing so for fixtures and baseline trust rather than hot streak output.
The headline defensive number is 11 clean sheets. That is the core of his FPL appeal. On top of that, he has added 11 bonus points, supported by a healthy 520 BPS. Those bonus and BPS totals matter because they show Pickford can turn a simple clean sheet into a bigger haul when Everton are under pressure and he contributes enough saves to stand out in the scoring system.
His ICT Index of 83.6 is respectable for a goalkeeper, again reflecting a profile driven more by saves and involvement than by passive clean sheet hunting. In short, the season-long data paints him as dependable rather than explosive. You are buying a floor, not a ceiling.
Ownership and price journey
Pickford is selected by 12.9% of managers, which makes him a fairly mainstream pick without being overwhelmingly template. That ownership level is useful context. He is not a major differential, but he is popular enough that selling him before a decent fixture run can still carry rank risk if Everton post a shutout.
The market signal this week is negative. He has seen 14,776 transfers in but 31,733 transfers out, a net outflow that suggests managers are reacting to poor recent returns, chasing cheaper goalkeepers, or reallocating funds elsewhere. Despite that selling pressure, the broader price journey remains stable enough, with the move from £5.5m to £5.6m showing he has held relevance over the campaign.
Upcoming outlook
Pickford’s final three fixtures are decent enough to keep him in the conversation. In GW36, Everton travel away to CRY with an expected points projection of 4.53. In GW37, they are at home to SUN, also with 4.53 xP. In GW38, they finish away to TOT with 4.22 xP.
Those projections are consistent rather than spectacular, which suits Pickford’s overall profile. Crystal Palace away is not easy, but it is playable. Sunderland at home looks like the standout chance for a clean sheet. Tottenham away is the most awkward of the three, yet the 4.22 xP still suggests a respectable route to save points even if the clean sheet is less likely.
As for captaincy, there is effectively no serious case. Goalkeepers are almost never optimal armband choices, and Pickford’s recent 0.8 form only underlines that. He is an ownership and squad structure decision, not a captaincy play. The only realistic discussion is whether he is worth starting, and across these three weeks the answer is mostly yes.
One side note from the wider football news cycle, The Guardian’s Football Daily focused on European action, with PSG moving past Bayern to set up a clash with Arsenal in Budapest, so there is no major external narrative here that changes Pickford’s domestic FPL outlook. This is a data-led call.
Verdict
Watch to own. If you already have Pickford, there is little urgency to sell before fixtures with 4.53, 4.53 and 4.22 xP. The combination of 129 points, 11 clean sheets, 11 bonus and 3150 minutes confirms he has been a trustworthy season-long option. If you are buying fresh, he is more of a conservative move than an upside play, especially with the recent transfer trend running negative and form down at 0.8. Start him if owned, do not captain him, and only buy if you want security over chasing a goalkeeper punt.