End of Season Awards – The Defenders

Having started the End of Season awards with the Goalkeepers, we now turn our attentions to Defenders, after Sunderland’s Vito Mannone racked up over 50% of the votes cast for keepers:

Once again, please bear in mind that the vote is from an overall Fantasy perspective – overall points, price, performances and Fantasy Premier League (FPL) value should all come into consideration here:

The new poll is on the home page (middle column), with four defenders available for your selection this time round.

Seamus Coleman
A goal, assist and maximum bonus points in the season opener at Norwich ensured the Everton right-back was immediately installed in many manager’s sides. Starting the season at just 5.0, Coleman’s star has risen under the guidance of Roberto Martinez, with six strikes and a pair of assists supplemented by 13 clean sheets and 20 bonus points indicative of his potential at both ends of the pitch. Now owned by 37% of FPL managers, the Republic of Ireland international is the most popular defensive option by some distance, rising to 6.8 in price – with just a single match remaining, his 174 points is enough to earn Coleman top spot in the defender rankings so far.

Leighton Baines
Whilst his fellow Toffees full-back has served up the most points, Baines has still managed to outscore Coleman in terms of points per game, by 5.3 to 5.0 – indeed, his average is higher than any defensive regular this season. Priced at 7.5 as the season got underway, the left-back’s popularly suffered as a result of his team-mate’s superior value but, as Coleman’s price escalated, there’s not been that much between them in the second half of the season. With five goals, five assists, 26 bonus points and 12 clean sheets over his 31 appearances, Baines sits on 163 points – third amongst defenders – and despite missing six matches through injury, is just 14 points off last season’s 177.

John Terry
Having played a part in just 14 matches in 2012/13, with previous boss Rafa Benitez citing concerns over a knee problem for his lack of game time, the Chelsea skipper was handed a 6.0 price-tag this time around. Under Jose Mourinho, Terry has missed just three league fixtures and helped the Blues rediscover their defensive edge, with the London club conceding a mere 26 times in the first 37 Gameweeks. Terry has chipped in with three goals, an assist and 14 clean sheets. He has also proven to be one of the main beneficiaries of the change to the bonus points system – his total of 29 bonus points is not only more than any other backline option, it is superior to any Stamford Bridge team-mate.

Branislav Ivanovic
The Serbian started the season with a 6.5 price-tag after scoring five times in 33 starts over the previous campaign. Ivanovic’s security of game time has continued under Jose Mourinho – he’s played 34 of the Blues’ first 37 matches and has mirrored Terry’s above-mentioned attacking output, in addition to delivering 16 clean sheets. His right-back berth may have earned him just 16 bonus points by comparison, but he still sits fourth amongst defenders on 157 points, yet has risen in price by only 0.2 over the season.

Martin Skrtel
Liverpool’s free-scoring defender has found the net more than any other backline option this season. After warming the bench for the first two Gameweeks, Skrtel has started every one of the Merseysiders’ subsequent 35 matches, with his aerial ability in the opposition box helping him to seven goals for Brendan Rodgers’ title-challenging side. A lack of resilience has proven costly, though, with Skrtel managing just eight clean sheets in a campaign that has seen the Reds concede 49 times; nonetheless, his current haul of 137 points is vastly superior to last term’s minimal 88 in Rodgers’ first year at the Anfield helm.

Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny
Arsenals’ first-choice centre-half pairing both started the campaign at 5.5 but have made a mockery of their price tags. Mertesacker and Koscielny have both delivered 16 clean sheets – joint-top amongst defenders – and have each found the net on a couple of occasions thus far, with the German also chipping in with an assist over his 35 appearances. Arsenal have managed just a single shut-out in the six games Koscielny has missed this term and the Frenchman has delivered a greater average than his team-mate, with 4.8 ppg to Mertesacker’s 4.5, and has earned more bonus points (24 to 23) in spite of the fact he has played four fixtures fewer. The German leads the way for overall points by 157 to 148, though Koscielny has proven a greater differential – he is owned by only 8% of FPL managers compared to his team-mate’s 25%.

Jose Fonte
Priced at 4.5 as the season got underway, the Southampton centre-half was quick out the blocks. By Gameweek 2, Fonte had already delivered a goal, a clean sheet and maximum bonus, and proved to be a key component of a Saints back-four that conceded just three times in the opening nine matches. Having delivered three goals, 15 clean sheets and 21 bonus points, he’s served up 147 points and is the highest-scoring budget defender of the season and best value outfield player thus far, currently sitting 25 points ahead of any other defensive team-mate.

Joel Ward
Palace’s versatile defender has afforded Fantasy managers a real bargain option this term. Starting at 4.0, Ward has been utilised in both full-back positions and, on occasion, central midfield as the Eagles produced a dramatic turnaround under Tony Pulis. The signs looked ominous after the Selhurst Park club failed to produce a single shut-out in their first 10 matches but Ian Holloway’s departure has since helped Ward earn 12 clean sheets and 13 bonus points, with a pair of assists also accrued. Now up to 4.5 and with a share of corners, he’s been far more than just a budget enabler this season.

James Chester
Granted, a total of 56 points is less than half team-mate Curtis Davies’ 114 but the latter’s 4.5 starting price ensured we steered well clear as we scoured the promoted sides for bargains. Priced at 4.0, Chester found himself as a cheap bench-warming defender for many Fantasy sides around these parts, and whilst injuries curtailed his game time and limited him to a goal and five clean sheets over 22 starts, Chester’s favourable price and security of starts – when fit – meant that he probably lasted longer in some 15-man squads than the majority of defensive alternatives.

Steven Caulker
Frustratingly for Fantasy managers, the Cardiff centre-half started the season at Tottenham and came in at 5.0 when the Player Price Lists were released back in July. In spite of his side’s dire defensive record – just seven clean sheets and 72 goals conceded – Caulker’s attacking potential has ensured he remained a viable option; the only defender to have managed every minute of the season, he’s served up five goals and 19 bonus points and sits on 121 points; 53 more than any other player in the Bluebirds’ backline.

Pablo Zabaleta
Amongst defenders, the City right-back is second only to Seamus Coleman in terms of popularity, with an ownership level of 26%. Zabaleta’s attacking forays have produced a goal and six assists, though a change to the bonus point system has proven detrimental – he’s picked up just 11 so far, to go along with 14 clean sheets. Having appeared 34 times under Manuel Pellegrini, Zabaleta is the top-scoring City defender on 137 points – 13 points more than last term’s haul of 124 for the champions-elect.

Guy Demel
A cult hero around these parts, the West Ham right-back has delivered 13 clean sheets so far – offering strong value on a starting price of 4.5. Demel has mustered just a single goal and one assist, whilst a total of eight bonus points has hardly caught the eye but, in a season where most of Sam Allardyce’s backline have been hampered with injury, in addition to a change of first-choice keeper midway through the campaign, the Ivorian has been the most secure defensive pick the Upton Park outfit has had to offer. With 112 points returned, he’s 21 ahead of last term’s haul and 26 ahead of any other Hammers defender.

Patrice Evra
The United left-back was firmly on course to better last season’s 152 points, having started 28 of the first 29 league matches. With just four appearances in the last eight league fixtures, though, Evra’s fortunes have taken a turn for the worse, though he’s still managed to serve up 140 points – three more than Liverpool’s Skrtel, for example. Priced at 6.5 as the season got underway, the Frenchman has produced a goal, five assists and 19 bonus points in addition to 13 clean sheets for the Old Trafford outfit and is a good 54 points clear of any other defensive team-mate.