In Gameweek 2 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL), 28 players earned defensive contribution (DefCon) points.
Here we find out who qualified and the total number of DefCons they accumulated.
As a reminder, outfield players are rewarded with extra points if they meet the following criteria:
| Position | Defensive contributions | Points on offer |
|---|---|---|
| Defenders | 10 clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles (CBIT) | +2 |
| Midfielders and forwards | 12 clearances, blocks, interceptions, recoveries and tackles (CBIRT) | +2 |
PLAYERS WITH DEFENSIVE CONTRIBUTION POINTS IN GAMEWEEK 2
DEFENDERS
Once again, it is centre-backs who dominate this list.
A total of five defenders, all of whom are centre-halves, accumulated 14 DefCons in Gameweek 2, including Marcos Senesi (£4.5m).
Bournemouth centre-backs were DefCon magnets in 2024/25, a trend that has continued into the new season, irrespective of the personnel involved. In the match against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, both Senesi and Bafode Diakite (£4.5m) banked extra points.
Senesi, for his part, is one of only seven defenders to have received the bonus in both Gameweeks 1 and 2:
- Dan Burn (Newcastle United)
- Matthijs de Ligt (Manchester United)
- Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace)
- Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth)
- James Tarkowski (Everton)
- Sepp van den Berg (Brentford)
- Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Elsewhere, three newly-promoted defenders qualified for extra points: Burnley’s Hjalmar Ekdal (£4.0m), Leeds United’s Joe Rodon (£4.0m) and Sunderland’s Reinildo (£4.0m).
Minutes played were once again crucial: every defender who qualified for the bonus in Gameweek 2 played the full 90, except Michael Kayode (£4.5m).
Regarding the leading defenders for DefCons thus far, Virgil van Dijk (£6.0m) is in the lead with 36. Senesi follows in second place with 29, while Maxence Lacroix (£5.0m) ranks third with 28.
MIDFIELDERS
As many as six (!) Brentford players collected two points for their DefCons in Gameweek 2, including three midfielders.
The Bees, who ceded 76.4% possession to Aston Villa, defended deep, packed the box, and, in a gritty display, earned a priceless 1-0 win.
Brighton and Hove Albion’s Mats Wieffer (£5.0m) also qualified. He’s the only midfielder to have picked up DefCon points in Gameweeks 1 and 2, although he has played at right-back in both matches.
The same applies to Everton’s James Garner (£5.0m), who has been deployed as a makeshift left-back in the absence of Vitalii Mykolenko (£5.0m).
Bruno Fernandes (£9.0m) needed just one more clearance, block, interception, recovery or tackle (CBIRT) in Gameweek 1, but he hit the target against Fulham on Sunday. Those extra points effectively cancelled out the two he got deducted for missing the penalty.
Elsewhere, Elliot Anderson (£5.5m), Jack Grealish (£6.5m) and Lucas Paqueta (£5.9m) finished on 11 DefCons in Gameweek 2, just one short.
No forward reached the required threshold, with Richarlison (£6.7m) and Igor Thiago (£6.0m) the closest on eight.
