MLS Fantasy Rankings: Top Goalkeepers

This article is part of our MLS Fantasy Rankings series.

A lot of complications come with trying to rank players for the season-long game. For simplicity's sake, we ignored potential absences for the many international tournaments coming up this summer. We also did not favor players with generous opening schedules, but you certainly should look at that when putting together your initial team.

Honorable Mention: Tyler Deric, Evan Bush, Steve Clark, Bobby Shuttleworth

Omitted due to injury: Bill Hamid

JD: After an entire 2015 season publishing weekly MLS rankings with you, I could have guessed we'd have some differences of opinion at goalkeeper. My No. 1 pick, Stefan Frei, fell to your third spot. Frei has had two straight stellar seasons and bailed out what was a terribly leaky Sounders defense at times last season. His save percentage of 77.1 percent stood head and shoulders above every full-time keeper, including a whopping 11 percentage points higher than MLS Keeper of the Year Award winner Luis Robles, and the Sounders' defense projects to be far more stout than last year. The goalkeeping position definitely offers several good choices to top the rankings though, so make your case for David Ousted and Jesse Gonzalez!

Schuyler: It's a tough call at the top but Ousted gets the No. 1 nod for me. Ousted tied for first in MLS last season with 13 clean sheets, posted a league-best three PK saves and played a key role in seeing Vancouver tie for fewest goals conceded in MLS. Gonzalez was excellent for FC Dallas down the stretch in 2015, and I think he could be in the running for 2016 Goalkeeper of the Year if he's able to log a full season. I do think you make a case for Frei at No. 1, as he's been solid over the last couple of seasons and should be considered amongst the best in MLS.

JD: I agree that those are both excellent options, and on a pair of teams considered to be frontrunners for MLS Cup. Let's talk about a keeper who found his way to the team that's known for winning MLS Cups, Dan Kennedy. Once upon a time, Kennedy was the only player propping up the corpse that was Chivas USA. After being overtaken by the ultra-talented Gonzalez in Dallas last year, he's moved back to his old stomping grounds in Los Angeles, but this time with the Galaxy. You ranked the veteran at No. 5 and I left him out of my top 10 entirely. I'm just not sold on the Galaxy defense in the long run. I think they will have some great showings, mixed with plenty of breakdowns. Bruce Arena deserves the benefit of the doubt, but with plenty of other talented keepers and more trustworthy defensive groups, Kennedy isn't on my selection radar quite yet.

Schuyler: I might have given Kennedy a slight "star power" bump thanks to his new home with the Galaxy. While I see your point that he might struggle with a backline that lacks chemistry, I think that could play into Kennedy's fantasy value somewhat, potentially forcing him to make some big saves and play a bigger role than expected. Speaking of a bigger role than expected, there are several names with big fantasy potential that aren't in either of our preseason rankings. Andre Blake, Joe Bendik and Evan Bush all have strong upsides and will certainly be on my radar if the matchup is right.

JD: If Kennedy can stand on his head like he did at Chivas, you may be onto something. I think another guy we're ranking highly despite his defense is Nick Rimando. If Real Salt Lake can shore up what became a pathetic back line last season, he may have one more MVP-type of campaign in him. I'm on board with Bush, but am skeptical that Philadelphia and Orlando City will support Blake and Bendik enough to make them viable most weeks. Lastly, Tyler Deric is my favorite sleeper candidate. If he can again capture his early season heroics from 2015 and the Dynamo continue to improve in Owen Coyle's second term, Deric could rise to the top of a crowded second tier of MLS goalkeeping talent.