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With only two weeks to go for the start of the 2022-23 Premier League season, the entire FPL community is building their teams with renewed vigor. With plenty of exciting new signings and a different pricing approach, a lot has changed in FPL.
Another exciting factor to consider is the newly promoted teams, Fulham, Bournemouth, and Nottingham Forest. Despite getting promoted only by winning the playoffs, Nottingham Forest looks the strongest ahead of the season, with a host of exciting new signings bolstering their ranks.
Fans have seen some newly promoted sides adjust immediately to life in the PL and teams like Norwich and West Brom who haven't quite been able to stay up. In any case, players from promoted teams are often priced generously and have proved to be affordable FPL options for FPL managers to choose from.
Many cut-price FPL gems like John Lundstram, Stuart Dallas, or the Wolves' players in their first season back in the league have come from promoted sides. With that in mind, let's look at the best FPL defenders from each of the promoted teams.
Note: This article ranks the best defensive option from each of the promoted teams and not the best three options from the teams combined.
#3 Jordan Zemura (BOU) (£4.5 m)
Bournemouth had the best defense in the 2021-22 EFL Championship. However, the lack of signings in the summer, especially in comparison to a side like Nottingham Forest, raises concerns over their potential defensive output. Of the three managers of the promoted sides, Scott Parker is easily the most defensively secure.
Even during his Fulham days in the Premier League, his team's defensive performance was much better in comparison to the other relegated sides. However, with Ryan Fredericks the Cherries' only defensive signing so far, it remains to be seen how their Championship stars fare in the English top flight.
While all their FPL defenders are priced at £4.5 m, left-back Jordan Zemura looks the most appealing. At the time of writing, there appears to be no threat to his game-time. Zemura is a very attacking full-back and someone who could thrive if played in a wing-back role.
Scott Parker has played with three at the back quite often, and considering the quality of opposition in the PL, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him do so. Therefore, of the Bournemouth defensive options, it's Zemura that stands out. On paper, their defense doesn't sound that promising.
#2 Antonee Robinson (FUL) (£4.5 m)
Fulham was outclassed by Benfica, losing 5-1 in one of their pre-season matches. While it wasn't their full-strength side that took the field, their defensive frailties were exposed. While the Cottagers had the third-best defensive record in the Championship, that was primarily due to how much they dominated their matches than their defensive solidity.
While they have made a couple of good signings in the summer transfer window, it remains to be seen if they can find the right balance in their style of play. Of their defensive options, Antonee Robinson is undoubtedly the pick of the lot. The left-back contributes plenty to the attack and is fairly solid in defense.
Most noticeable is his performance in Fulham's 2020-21 PL season, where he stood out as a creative force in a more conservative style of play under Scott Parker.
Given more creative license and freedom under Marco Silva, Robinson could certainly provide attacking returns. If Fulham can establish a decent defensive unit, Antonee Robinson becomes a viable option at £4.5 m.
#1 Neco Williams (NFO) (£4.0 m)
Promoted sides who play with a wing-back system have proved very popular in FPL for the defensive options they provide (Eg: Wolves, Sheffield United, Brentford).
Another addition to the list is Steve Cooper's Nottingham Forest. While their overall stats fall short when compared with Bournemouth, Forest had the best defense in the Championship once Cooper took charge.
Playing with a back-three for most of the campaign, Nottingham Forest was defensively solid, with plenty of their creativity stemming from their wing-backs.
While Djed Spence won't return to play at right wing-back, new signing Neco Williams looks a secure starter for the same role. His price of £4.0 m means he's not only the best FPL defender from Forest but probably the best budget defender in the game.
Of the three promoted sides, Steve Cooper's side has shown the most ambition since promotion, making plenty of moves in the transfer market. They appear the best defense of the three promoted sides on paper and could prove to be a good source of cut-price FPL defenders.
