Though every Fantasy Premier League (FPL) season has its ebbs and flows, it would certainly feel that the tides are changing with greater frequency than ever this term.
Just a few short weeks ago, driven by a strong Christmas schedule and the outstanding form of premium defenders such as Marcos Alonso and Nicholas Otamendi, numerous Fantasy managers (myself included) found themselves stacking up at the back – hoarding high-priced defensive assets from the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United while making financial sacrifices further up the pitch.
Yet on the back of one of the most disappointing defensive Gameweeks in recent memory – in which a suite of premium defenders either failed to provide returns or, in many cases, feature altogether – the notion of trimming funds from the backline is becoming increasingly popular.
Moreover, a glance at the upcoming fixture list demonstrates huge potential for a number of so-called “smaller” clubs to provide strong clean sheet prospects over the medium term.
With this fact in mind, this week’s Technical Area will be assessing the defensive capabilities of these sides based on their recent form and upcoming schedules.
We’ll also appraise a number of budget defensive options in an effort to identify those lower-priced players with the potential to match bigger-budget rivals during the season’s run-in.
