While defensive contribution (DefCon) points are a nice extra, clean sheets remain the staple of a defender’s diet in Fantasy Premier League (FPL).
Using Rate My Team (RMT) projections to assess probability, this article highlights the teams with the strongest chances of shutting out their opponents and the defences worth targeting in Gameweek 26.
GAMEWEEK 26 CLEAN SHEET PROJECTIONS
Note: Percentages are from our Rate My Team (RMT) points projections
SUMMARY
Arsenal sit clear at the top of the graphic this week with a standout 71%. Playing twice obviously lifts their clean-sheet potential, but their numbers stand up even without that advantage. They continue to lead most underlying defensive metrics, and fixtures against Brentford and Wolves give them every chance to extend that dominance.
Crystal Palace and Manchester City both come in at 43%. Palace face 19th-placed Burnley, while City welcome Fulham, who rank among the lowest-scoring away sides in the league this season. Both defences look well placed not just for this round, but also as longer-term investments thanks to their favourable schedules.
Nottingham Forest don’t often appear this high up the rankings, but they break into the top four this week. Despite conceding in their last two outings, recent clean sheets against Brentford and Arsenal offer encouragement ahead of their home clash with the division’s lowest scorers, Wolves.
Just outside the top four sit Chelsea, who host Leeds United. Leeds struggle for goals on the road, so even with Chelsea’s recent defensive inconsistencies, the clean-sheet upside remains clear.
Wolves are the only other side with two fixtures this round. On paper, that should boost their numbers, but a meeting with Arsenal limits their overall clean-sheet projection and explains why they rank lower than expected.
