Top of the list
1. Virgil, Liverpool, DEF, £6.1m
If you want the cleanest blend of security, points and captain-proof reliability, Virgil sits top for a reason. He has logged 3150 minutes, matched only by a handful of goalkeepers, and turned that into 157 points with 4 goals, 1 assist, 10 clean sheets and 10 bonus. For a defender, that is elite all-round output. The key here is not just that he starts every week, it is that his minutes come with upside. A 5.5 form mark says the recent returns are still there, and at 31.1% selected he is heavily owned without quite being unavoidable. In this category, he is the standout outfield option because he combines nailed minutes with multiple routes to points.
2. Raya, Arsenal, GKP, £6.1m
Raya is the premium goalkeeper version of the same idea. He also has 3150 minutes, but the headline is the defensive platform, 17 clean sheets, the best total in this list, plus 147 points and 9 bonus. That level of consistency is why he is owned by 35.3%, the highest selection in the top 12. The question with Raya is value rather than reliability, because at £6.1m he is priced like a luxury. Still, if you want a set-and-forget goalkeeper with almost no rotation fear and the strongest clean-sheet base here, he is the safe premium play.
3. Pickford, Everton, GKP, £5.6m
Pickford rounds out the top tier on durability and save-bonus style accumulation. He has played 3150 minutes, produced 129 points, delivered 11 clean sheets and collected 11 bonus, which is actually more than Raya. The concern is form, just 0.8, so this is more of a season-long reliability case than a hot-streak one. At 12.9% selected, he is far less popular than Raya and offers a decent middle ground for managers who want secure minutes without paying top goalkeeper price.
Strong contenders
4. Verbruggen, Brighton, GKP, £4.5m
This is where value starts to bite. Verbruggen has the full 3150 minutes and a very healthy 120 points at just £4.5m. With 9 clean sheets, 6 bonus and a solid 4.8 form, he looks like one of the best budget keepers in the game. He does not have Raya’s ceiling, but pound for pound he is much easier to fit.
5. Petrović, Bournemouth, GKP, £4.6m
Another ever-present at 3150 minutes, Petrović has posted 112 points with 10 clean sheets. The appeal is simple, decent defensive output, low ownership at 5.2%, and a price that barely dents your budget. The downside is the lower 2.5 form, so he feels more stable than explosive.
6. Leno, Fulham, GKP, £4.9m
Leno is quietly one of the best under-the-radar options. He has played all 3150 minutes, scored 111 points, registered 8 clean sheets and 8 bonus, and comes in with a strong 5.5 form. At just 2.0% selected, he is a genuine differential goalkeeper with reliable starts and current momentum.
7. Dúbravka, Burnley, GKP, £4.0m
Pure budget enabler, full-stop. Dúbravka has somehow reached 3150 minutes for only £4.0m. The output is lighter, 96 points and only 4 clean sheets, but for managers chasing every spare 0.1, guaranteed starts at this price are gold. The oddity is his huge 26.7% selection, which shows just how much the market values a nailed cheap keeper.
Watch list
- Garner, Everton, MID, £5.2m, 153 points from 3143 minutes, with 2 goals, 7 assists, 11 clean sheets, a superb budget midfield floor.
- Bowen, West Ham, FWD, £7.8m, 171 points and 8 goals, 12 assists in 3136 minutes, the best attacking scorer in this group and a serious season-keeper.
- Truffert, Bournemouth, DEF, £4.7m, 146 points, 1 goal, 4 assists, 10 clean sheets, excellent value with upside.
- Milenković, Nottingham Forest, DEF, £5.1m, 3105 minutes and 9 clean sheets, more dependable than explosive.
- Rogers, Aston Villa, MID, £7.5m, 155 points from 9 goals, 7 assists in 3100 minutes, a strong nailed attacker if you can spend into the mid-price bracket.
Verdict
Overall winner: Virgil. He edges it because 157 points from 3150 minutes as a defender is exactly what this category should reward, security plus meaningful upside.
Best-value pick: Verbruggen. At £4.5m for 120 points and 3150 minutes, he gives you true set-and-forget stability without premium cost.
Sleeper pick: Leno. Just 2.0% selected, but full minutes, 5.5 form and 8 bonus make him the most interesting low-owned option on the board.