FPL Budget Picks: The Best GK Under £5.0

Budget Keepers Under £5.0m: Who Actually Plays, Who Actually Saves You Money

Twenty-eight keepers qualify at £5.0m or under. Most of them are there to make the price list look busy. Here's the dozen worth a line each, in our order of preference — and the top of the list is Trafford at Leeds.

Trafford (LEE, £5.0m) — our top projection of the bracket, around 24-25 points over the next six, and a very kind run of fixtures once he's past ARS (A) first up. Owned by barely 1 in 10. He's unproven at this level — that's the honest bit — but the model likes what's behind him.

Kelleher (BRE, £5.0m) — the proven version, about 22-23 points projected on a similarly gentle run, starting AVL (A). About 1 in 10 own him. If you want fewer questions, this is the answer.

Verbruggen (BHA, £4.5m) — the template pick, roughly 2 in 10 already have him. Very kind fixtures, SUN (A) next, and he's £500k cheaper. Solid, if unspectacular projection.

Kinsky (TOT, £4.5m) — popular (~2 in 10), favourable run, but unproven and starts at MUN (A). Fine, not first choice here.

Lammens (MUN, £4.9m) — proven, average fixtures, TOT (H) next. Paying £4.9m for average fixtures is not what this bracket is for.

Tzolakis (HUL, £4.7m) — unproven, favourable run, EVE (H) first. A watch, not a buy.

Petrović (BOU, £4.5m) — quietly the best of the £4.5m tier bar Verbruggen: proven, favourable fixtures, hardly anyone owns him. CHE (A) first is ugly, then it opens up.

Martinez (CHE, £5.0m) and Sels (NFO, £5.0m) — both proven, both facing tough runs. Full price for hard fixtures is the wrong end of both trades.

Leno (FUL, £4.5m), Roefs (SUN, £4.9m) — proven, average fixtures, nothing to get excited about. Horníček (NEW, £5.0m) — favourable run, unproven, almost nobody owns him; interesting, not actionable yet.

The usual caveat applies to the whole list: none of these is nailed-on confirmed by their clubs yet, and at this price minutes are the entire purchase. A £4.5m keeper on the bench is the most expensive item in FPL.

The call: Trafford is the pick — best points on offer, kindest fixtures, cheap enough ownership to gain on the field. If the unproven tag makes you twitchy, Kelleher gets you nearly all of it with a track record. Everyone else is funding your Verbruggen.