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Defenders in Fantasy Premier League are often chosen far too quickly so that managers can move onto who they believe are the main point-scorers: the midfielders and strikers. In actuality, the defenders are just as likely to pick up points - particularly if they are full-backs.
Full-backs have the option to burst forward which gives them a chance to earn an assist or even grab a goal. If they can do this whilst also keeping a cleansheet, the points will rack up significantly.
Having said that, central defenders can also pick up plenty of points over the course of a season but they have to be picked carefully. Simply choosing defenders that belong to the top clubs in the league isn't an option as even the best sides aren't guaranteed shutouts. One could select a defender from a mid-table side and potentially end up with the same amount of points, or more, than a player belonging to the big side.
There are many factors you have to consider when selecting a defender for your squad. So, here are ten defenders who can boost your FPL points tally this season.
#10 Lewis Dunk (Brighton & Hove Albion) - £4.6m
Lewis Dunk is an integral part of Brighton & Hove Albion’s back-four which means he will play in a lot of games this season. This is the first positive that FPL managers may notice. Add to that the three cleansheets he has picked up this season, and you’ll begin to understand why Dunk is a popular selection.
The 27-year-old only costs £4.6m, which is incredibly cheap for a player of his ability. He has accumulated a total of 33 points from eight matches in the Premier League thus far - a respectable tally.
Dunk is proof that you don’t need to be with a top side to earn lots of points in Fantasy Premier League. So, if you're after a relatively cheap centre-back who is highly likely to play virtually every match this season, Lewis Dunk is exactly the sort of player you should be going after.
#9 John Lundstram (Sheffield United) - £4.5m
Despite being a central defender, Lundstram has already scored twice and got an assist whilst featuring in all eight Premier League matches for Sheffield United. The newly-promoted side has gotten off to a much better start than anticipated with Lundstram being one of their integral players.
He has also been in the side when Sheffield secured three cleansheets, which have nicely boosted his points in Fantasy Premier League to a strong total of 39. For a defender doing this well, you would expect him to have a price tag of around £5-6m. Instead, Lundstram only costs £4.5m, making him a must-have for any manager looking to rack up points from all areas.
The 25-year-old is an key part of the Blades’ set-up, with a similar to that of Lewis Dunk’s at Brighton. This renders him invaluable to his manager, meaning that you won’t have to worry about whether he’ll be given playtime or not. Bigger clubs often rotate the back-line - thankfully mid-table sides like Sheffield and Brighton do not as regularly.
#8 Fikayo Tomori (Chelsea) - £4.7m
Fikayo Tomori is a 21-year-old centre-back with a very promising future ahead of him. His loan spell at Derby County last season augmented his relationship with boss Frank Lampard and the pair’s chemistry is on show for everyone this season at Chelsea.
The Blues' two-window transfer ban means that they’ve had to make the most of what they’ve got. Thankfully, what they’ve got is a side bursting at the brim with talent, offering a wide range of positions, ages and traits for Lampard to choose from.
So, the transfer ban isn’t quite as dramatic as it sounds for Chelsea. It, at last, has given the fans at Stamford Bridge a chance to see the young talents the club had invested their time and resources on. Safe to say the fans must be delighted with what they’ve seen so far.
Tomori is just one of many players who have been given that chance and flourished. You can expect to see the defender play in most of Chelsea’s matches this season, which makes him a solid pick for an FPL side.
Tomori costs just £4.7m and has bagged 19 points so far this season so he is certainly one to keep on the shortlist.
#7 Matt Doherty (Wolves) - £6.0m
Matt Doherty is a prime example about how potent full-backs can be at picking up points in Fantasy Premier League. The 27-year-old already has 30 points to his name so far this season but will be expecting to get a lot more by the end of it.
Doherty is an attacking full-back and can often be found swinging in crosses for teammates to latch onto in the box. His shooting isn’t bad either, as he proved by grabbing a goal in Wolves’ 2-0 victory over Watford recently.
It’s ironic that Doherty is even classed as a defender because he’s more often than not found much further up the pitch than his own back-line. He’s more of a winger with defensive duties than a full-back to be fair.
One thing that may put some managers off, however, is the Irishman’s price tag of £6.0m. This is relatively expensive for a defender but his marauding runs and ample opportunities to create assists justify the cost. If you truly want to reinforce your back-line and ensure that you’re bagging up as many points as possible, Doherty is a player you should consider buying.
#6 Nicolas Otamendi (Manchester City) - £5.6m
Manchester City may have had a woeful start to the season so far, but their fortunes are highly likely to improve soon. After all, their team is brimming with superstars from all over the world, they simply can’t be beaten as easily as other teams but that didn’t stop Wolves or Norwich.
Once City settle down and Pep Guardiola makes enough tweaks to repair their current state, players like Otamendi and Stones (when he’s recovered from injury) could be casually collecting six or more points almost every week through cleansheets alone.
Otamendi’s pricetag isn’t that much, either - £5.6m for a defender of his caliber is a bargain. If you haven’t selected him for your team yet, he could be worth a punt. Ignore those who have panic-sold him because of a few dodgy performances, as he could soon find his feet and cruise until the end of the season. It’s a game of patience with the Argentine but one that could be rewarding.
#5 Patrick van Aanholt (Crystal Palace) - £5.6m
Patrick van Aanholt is another full-back on this list who has a tendency to burst forward and augment his side’s attacking force. His efforts have paid off as well so far this season, as he has two goals in eight matches for the Eagles - one of which came against Manchester United to secure all three points for Palace.
Another thing that makes Van Aanholt a crucial purchase is the fact that he’s assigned to penalty duty for Crystal Palace. Usually, Luka Milivojevic takes them, but in his absence Van Aanholt will step up.
He’s cheaper than Matt Doherty, by £0.4m and some would probably argue that he’s actually a better choice to have anyway. This in turn would allow you to put that money saved elsewhere into the team.
To top it all off, Patrick van Aanholt has a whopping 39 points so far this season, making him one of the highest-scoring defenders in the game and definetely one to add to your squad.
#4 Ricardo Pereira (Leicester City) - £6.2m
Ricardo Pereira is another attacking full-back option in this list with similar attributes to Patrick van Aanholt, except he plays on the opposite flank (right).
Pereira is a firm choice for right-back at Leicester and doesn’t have much competition, so you can be sure that he’ll have plenty of game time this season. He has featured in all eight matches for the Foxes so far and scored twice in that time with marauding runs forward - often through the middle, rather than the flank.
Leicester have performed very well this season and the team doing great in general makes Pereira’s job a lot easier, allowing him to burst forward while a teammate covers his position.
Pereira is currently the joint highest-scoring defender in the game with 40 points but the reason why he’s fourth in this list is because his current form could be a purple patch that might not last much longer.
Getting him if you haven’t already is a good idea as he offers a much more attacking outlook than most full-backs but he will cost you £6.2m, with certainly isn’t cheap.
#3 Andrew Robertson (Liverpool) - £6.9m
Andrew Robertson has had a significant rise to the top since leaving Hull City to join Liverpool in the summer of 2017. It’s unlikely anyone expected him to be this good yet the Scot has emerged as the best left-back in the league and rightfully so.
His stature in FPL is shown in his price tag of £6.9m, which is a hefty amount to pay for a defender. However, any managers who have splashed out on the 25-year-old so far will have seen a fair amount of points come their way in return. Robertson has 35 points in total and once Liverpool start facing the relegation threatend sides, his tally is likely to skyrocket.
Roberton has created two assists in his eight games for the Reds so far this season and narrowly avoided picking up a goal or two along the way as well. He is definitely one to watch if you’re still not sure but you'd better get him now before his price rises even higher.
#2 Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool) - £6.7m
Virgil van Dijk is a player who needs no introduction. He’s one of the best defenders in the world right now and his collection of trophies and awards is ever growing career. The best part? He’s still just 28-years old!
The Dutchman sits at the heart of the Liverpool defence each week and has transformed what was once a vulnerable back-line into one of the strongest in the division, which is why so many FPL managers are banking on Liverpool defenders to get them points this season.
Van Dijk is just as strong going forward as he is defending at the back. His height, physicality and aerial prowess from set-pieces set him apart from the rest. So much so that it has led to him being marked more heavily by the opposition over strikers
That said, Van Dijk has only scored one goal this season, but you can expect him to finish with about ten by the end of the campaign - he is a real force to be reckoned with.
Even then, he isn't the number one defender to choose for your FPL side. That person is on the next slide.
#1 Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) - £7.2m
Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of the best right-backs in the Premier League and possibly the planet too, which immediately makes him a top target for Fantasy Premier League managers. As previously stated, though, just because a player is superb in real life doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be as good as that in FPL. Luckily, Alexander-Arnold is great both in real life and the game.
If you can afford his hefty price tag of £7.2m, then Trent Alexander-Arnold is a certain pick for your back-line as he picks up points non-stop. He’s currently the joint highest-scoring defender in Fantasy Premier League and could very easily finish as the highest scoring defender by the end of the campaign.
Adept both at defending and attacking, the 21-year-old is worth every penny you invest in him and you are bound to notice a return on that investment within a few weeks. He has two assists and a goal from the eight games he’s featured in for the Reds so far. If he continues this current run of form, he could end up with an assist tally a midfielder would be proud of.
