Having re-introduced the Sun Dream Team (DT) last week, we now begin a series of articles that will help guide team selection in preparation for the season kick-off.

Over the course of our analysis, we will examine each position and assess the factors that can govern selection, including specific Dream Team strategies and an insight into last season’s data that will help us discuss the various options on offer.

We begin, as always, at the back, running the rule over our options between the sticks.

The Strategies

The goalkeeping position is one that’s easy to dismiss. Across the Fantasy games it’s often neglected, with genuine resentment brewed when we’re forced to address it with a transfer. In Dream Team, with just 12 trades over the season, this is certainly the case.

Another factor stacked against the maligned Dream Team keeper is that, compared to the other positions, they typically generate far fewer points. Chelsea’s Petr Cech was the top scoring stopper on offer last term, registering a tally of 156 points – a total significantly boosted by domestic and European cup campaigns that earned him a huge 59 starts in total, 14 more than any other keeper. Ranked below Cech, only Joe Hart, David De Gea and Pepe Reina managed to edge above the 100-point mark. The table below lists the top ten goalkeepers based on last season’s scoring.

Top Ten Dream Team Keepers by Overall Points 2012/13

Comparing these tallies to the other positions, we find that there were no less than 19 defenders who earned over 100 points, with Leighton Baines outscoring Cech by a 41-point margin. The gap is even wider when we look to midfielders and forwards, with Gareth Bale’s tally more than double that of Cech with a mammoth 331 points. A total of 35 midfielders and 24 forwards all scored above the 100-point threshold, compared to the four keepers.

There are several factors at play here. Goalkeepers typically find it harder to earn the 7+ Sun ratings in matches (worth 3 points), with only four (Cech, Simon Mignolet, Mark Schwarzer and Brad Guzan) collecting these on more than 20 occasions last season. In contrast, we saw 10 defenders, 22 midfielders and 10 forwards all reach this threshold.

This is also reflected in Star Man awards (worth 5 points) – Julio Cesar’s five was more than any keeper, thanks to his frequently busy displays behind a fragile QPR back four. Cech, as the top scoring stopper, earned just a single star man award with team-mate Juan Mata snaffling no less than 15. Quite simply, then, the keeper can be overlooked and overshadowed and this has a marked impact on their DT totals.

That’s not to say there aren’t deals to be done; rewards to be had for a bit of foresight and research. West Ham’s Jussi Jaaskelainen was superb value last term, offering 85 points for a paltry £1 million. Only four players (Michu, Jay Rodriguez, Morgan Schneiderlin and Christian Benteke) delivered better points per million DT value.

This is the type of return on investment we’re looking for from our keeper. We either shop for that kind of bargain, confident that we can find a regular starter who will return double figure clean sheet returns and regular 7+ ratings, or we spend big and find that assured asset who will possibly, with the help of a cup run, get close to 20 shut-outs.

The transfer windows aren’t a prime concern with this position. We can make our selection with these in mind but, in truth, our trades are surely better spent elsewhere. We’re ideally looking for a “fire and forget” option: the one player we can sign and leave for the duration of the season, freeing up our transfers for midfield and up front.

The Players

A few days ago, the goalkeeping situation was somewhat fuzzy but, with news of Pepe Reina’s impending loan move to Napoli, suddenly the path to our Dream Team keeper looks far clearer. Liverpool’s Simon Mignolet, priced at just £3 million, now stands out as a clear first choice stopper behind a defence that helped Reina to a total of 100 DT points, a fair return for his £3.5 million price tag. Mignolet is cheaper this time around and arrives having earned 7+ Sun ratings on 21 occasions: only Cech, in 19 more appearances, exceeded this.

While Mignolet is unlikely to attract similar ratings playing in front of a solid Liverpool back four, this will surely be offset by improved clean sheet returns. While you can also plunder Kolo Toure to cover Liverpool’s defensive potential, the lure of Mignolet, as a more secure starter, looks to be firmly in his favour. There is even a strong case to acquire both and double on Brendan Rodgers’ defence – a rearguard that was second only to Man City for league shut-outs (15 in total).

The one drawback to Mignolet is the lack of European appearances. We saw how this influenced Cech’s tally last term (72 points from European matches) so this has to be a consideration.

To acquire the potential offered by European starts, we have to look to the usual cast of heavy-hitters. Led by Cech and backed by Joe Hart and David De Gea, these assets offer alternative routes and we have to consider that, while they will play behind rotating defences, their security of game time, particularly in the league, looks strong.

The trio should push well over the 40 appearances mark and that consistent level of starts looks hard to find in each of those defences. Domestic cup rotation looks an issue but, in Europe, all three should feature – at least until they suffer a Champions League exit.

Significantly, Cech can be acquired for £5.5 million compared to the likes of Branislav Ivanovic and David Luiz, who have been slapped with £6.5 million price tags. Similarly, De Gea is 0.5 less expensive than the likes of Patrice Evra and Hart is £6 million to Vincent Kompany’s £6.5 million. There are cheaper options across these defences but, as always, question marks hang over their security of starts and vulnerability to rotation.

Arsenal’s Wojciech Szczesny is another worthy option to consider. He’ll face another Champions League campaign and currently looks fairly assured of his start between the sticks at the Emirates. At just £4 million, you’d have to take a chance on the starts of either Kieran Gibbs and Bacary Sagna to find cheaper coverage of Arsene Wenger’s defence.

Europa League campaigns bolster the appeal of both Michel Vorm and Hugo Lloris, although there is every chance we’ll see rotation should either Swansea and Spurs make progress. Vorm, at £3 million, looks an option behind a back four that should improve on last season’s meager defensive returns. Lloris, priced at £4 million, looks less appealing but has nonetheless tempted over 17% of DT managers so far – more than any other keeper. While the Frenchman offers assured league starts in front of a rotating back four, Brad Friedel could well see domestic cup and Europa League action and the lure of Jan Vertonghen, albeit at £5.5, as an assured goalscoring defender, would seem to count against Lloris.

Plunging down the price brackets, West Ham’s Jaaskelainen again appears to offer strong value, despite a hike to £2 million this time around. The Finn will surely be ever-present behind Sam Allardyce’s defence and a cup run could see him push above the 100-point mark this time around.

Similarly John Ruddy and Villa’s Brad Guzan have some appeal if you’re set on being miserly in this area. Guzan kept just 6 DT clean sheets over the season but was one of the more consistent performers in terms of 7+ ratings, with 20 returned over the campaign. At just £1.5 million, he’s a risk but an assured starter that liberates a lot of cash for elsewhere in our squads.

As for Ruddy, his last campaign was tainted by injury but he will be expected to return a close to ever-present season for Norwich and could easily justify the £2.0 million price tag if Chris Hughton’s side can kick-on this term. The Canaries appear to have bought well over the summer and Ruddy could be on track for double figure clean sheet returns, particularly if they can muster a cup run.

Dream Team is long established as one of the biggest players in the UK Fantasy Football market, attracting a huge audience wowed by the most substantial prizes on offer. Once again, this season, there’s a huge £500,000 prize pool to be divided up. Registration for teams and leagues opens on August 1 but you can select your lineups right now.

Fantasy Football Scout will be running an official Dream Team league which will launch on August 1, in addition to further guides and articles over the season to support the monthly game and to offer advice prior to the Transfer Windows. View our earlier article for more information on the game.