The Watchlist Updated – The Defence

Our weekly update of the Watchlist rankings is rolled out this afternoon. We analyse the keeper and defender movement in the new standings – Tottenham’s premium options hold steady near the summit as the fixtures continue to appeal, whilst Swansea’s main assets rise up the rankings in light of their eye-catching schedule.

The Goalkeepers

There’s little movement amongst the top five options between the sticks. Liverpool’s Simon Mignolet remains in pole position – the only backline option to have played very game for the Merseysiders so far as Brendan Rodgers tinkers with his formation, the Belgian prepares for a potentially profitable run of fixtures to consolidate his spot at the top of the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) keeper standings.

Artur Boruc drops down to third in spite of registering a fourth clean sheet in six – essentially, the Southampton defenders propensity for picking up bonus points is denting the Pole’s appeal, though he remains an outstanding contender in the cut-price bracket.

Michel Vorm moves up into second as a result of Swansea’s superb upcoming schedule. After registering two clean sheets in the opening six, the Dutchman looks to offer far greater potential over the next few matches (sou, SUN, WHM, car, STO, ful) and with Ashley Williams still an ankle concern, Vorm’s prospects of save point points could be all the more crucial for those looking for a way into Michael Laudrup’s defensive options.

Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris and United’s David De Gea hold steady in fourth and fifth respectively. Lloris has three home games and a trip to Villa in the next five – with just two goals conceded so far this term, he’s been superb between the sticks for the north London outfit but with Kyle Walker and Jan Vertonghen both offering attacking potential and greater chance of bonus points, Lloris’ appeal is slightly dented. De Gea looks the only guaranteed starter amongst David Moyes’ defensive options as the United boss rests and rotates – the fixtures remain strong, though two clean sheets in six somewhat tempers our enthusiasm.

Wojciech Szczesny and Petr Cech move slightly up this week’s refresh as the fixtures improve defensively for Arsenal and Chelsea – with more attack-minded options in their respective backlines, the duo fail to find a way into our top five, though. Further down the rankings, David Marshall and Allan McGregor’s budget appeal and likelihood of save points keeps the promoted pair in our thinking – they offer alternatives to Boruc for those holding Southampton defenders who are reluctant to double up on Mauricio Pochettino’s troops.

The Defenders

Jan Vertonghen remains at the summit this week as Spurs prepare for an eye-catching schedule. The Belgian has earned at least one bonus point every time his side have registered a clean sheet – a major factor in our decision to give him the nod over the less-expensive Kyle Walker – while the attacking potential that harvested five goals in 2012/13 is also another factor here.

We stick with Nemanja Vidic in second despite – or, in a sense, because of – his omission from United’s encounter with West Brom last weekend. The thinking here is that David Moyes will surely have learned his lesson when it comes to rotating his skipper – with Rio Ferdinand missing the midweek match against Shakhtar due to a groin injury, Moyes can simply ill-afford to bench Vidic yet again as he looks to recover from a dismal domestic start.

Swansea’s Chico climbs into third spot this week as a result of his upcoming schedule. With Ashley Williams’ ankle injury still proving problematic, his fellow centre-half offers the type of pass completion statistics which look tailor-made to boost his bonus point appeal should the Swans keep out their opponents. Ben Davies offers a similarly-priced alternative but with Neil Taylor recently returning from injury, his security of starts is not quite on a par with the Spaniard’s.

Games against City, Spurs and Liverpool in the next six are enough to nudge Leighton Baines down into fourth. Everton are handed a mixed set of short-term fixtures but, as Baines highlighted in Gameweek 5 at West Ham, his dead-ball ability means he is always liable to produce the points even when his side do concede – with the new bonus points system also favouring the left-back, he remains high in this week’s standings.

Nathaniel Clyne is our Southampton defender of choice. The Saints have yet to concede since his return to the first XI in Gameweek 4 and with four bonus points accrued in his previous three appearances, the right-back looks an outstanding value option at just 4.4 – at least 0.3 less than any other defensive team-mate.

We keep faith with Branislav Ivanovic as our Chelsea defender of choice. While John Terry is an obvious – and cheaper – alternative and has picked up more Fantasy returns, the Serbian’s goal threat remains the most impressive of the pair and could well come to fruition over the next few matches, with Jose Mourinho’s side squaring up to Norwich, Cardiff, Newcastle and West Brom in the next five.

A out of position move to the left of Liverpool’s midfield helps Jose Enrique climb up the rankings. Brendan Rodgers’ decision to shift to 3-4-1-2 bodes well for the Reds left-back and with Palace, West Brom and Fulham all paying visit in the next five, Enrique could be primed to improve upon a record which has earned just one assist so far. The fact he’s also picked up more bonus points that any Liverpool defensive option also bolsters the 6.2 priced defender’s appeal, though Aly Cissokho is expected back after the international break to put pressure on the Spaniard’s starting role. Rodgers admitted earlier today that the recent change in tactics depends on the players available, perhaps a hint that he may shift back to a four-man defence once Glen Johnson is fit to start on the right again. Enrique may not be for the long-term, then but, while Agger regains full fitness, he’s an attractive option.

Laurent Koscielny gets the nod over Per Mertesacker at the back for Arsenal. Despite the recent return of Thomas Vermaelen, the duo remain secure in the heart of the Gunners defence and look more guaranteed of starts than Arsene Wenger’s full-backs, though with one clean sheet in five, the north London side have struggled to keep their opponents at bay.

Stoke’s Marc Wilson remains a viable budget option at 4.5. A role in central midfield also increases his appeal, whilst Mark Hughes’ side will be desperate to recover from last week’s home loss to Norwich and take advantage of their upcoming favourable schedule. Pablo Zabaleta’s stock remains relatively low due to City’s dire defensive away form, whilst the return of Micah Richards also hands the Argentine’s owners a potential headache after he was dropped for the midweek Champions League clash with Bayern.

Just outside of our listings, Hull City’s Abdoulaye Faye offers the premium rock bottom budget option, right now. Priced at 3.9, he collected a clean sheet with bonus against West Ham and has three favourable KC Stadium encounters in the next six. James Chester may return to threaten his start by that stage.