Next on our 2026/27 price list analysis, a look at the best £5.0m Fantasy Premier League (FPL) defenders.
- READ MORE: Best £4.5m defenders for 2026/27
- READ MORE: Best £4.0m-£4.5m goalkeepers for 2026/27
- READ MORE: Best £4.0m defenders for 2026/27 – All 46 assessed
As of now, 41 players are worth this amount, although several are either rotation risks or keep being linked with transfers elsewhere.
Some are injured, like Conor Bradley, while there are early suspensions for Joachim Andersen and Wesley Fofana.
Let’s take a look at the leading contenders…
BEST £5.0M FPL DEFENDERS
NECO WILLIAMS (NOTTINGHAM FOREST)
Starting with the most-owned (13.3%) at this price, last season’s leading defender for attempts (46) and shots on target (19, see image below), though many were from long-range.
Williams also finished fourth at the back for crosses (142), chances created (36) and bonus points (15), but no surviving team accumulated a higher expected goals conceded (xGC) total than Nottingham Forest’s backline (57.32). It took 12 matches for their first clean sheet to arrive, though that began a run of eight in 20.
So, if the Welshman can maintain his attacking numbers while new head coach Oliver Glasner adds defensive solidity, he could shine, perhaps as a wing-back.
JAN PAUL VAN HECKE (TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR)
After Williams, van Hecke is the next most owned (8.2%). No £5.0m defender bettered his 148 points and, when comparing last season’s tallies to this year’s prices, none have a larger ‘points per million per match’ (PPMPM) value. 0.82 is fifth amongst his peers.
Three goals, three assists and 30 defensive contribution (DefCon) bonuses helped him shine at Brighton and Hove Albion, but the Dutchman made the most errors leading to goals (four) and picked up nine yellow cards.
He joins a Tottenham rearguard that kept three clean sheets during the first four Gameweeks, but just two from the closing 19. In fact, they conceded two or more times in nine successive matches, although there was improvement after Roberto De Zerbi’s appointment.
The Italian found a way to lure him to north London, forming a likely partnership with Micky van de Ven (£5.0m). His international colleague actually bagged four Premier League goals, including a 23-point haul, but now has to compete with Marcos Senesi (£6.0m) for the left centre-back role.
Also against van Hecke is that Spurs won’t meet a promoted team until Gameweek 7.
LUKA VUSKOVIC (BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION)
Going the other way, to Brighton, is 19-year-old Vuskovic. Not only did the 6ft 4in wonderkid just score six goals on loan at Hamburg, he previously netted seven during Westerlo’s 2024/25 campaign. No wonder the Seagulls spent £46 million on him!
| MINUTES | CLEARANCES | BLOCKS | INTERCEPTIONS | TACKLES | TOTAL CBIT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,442 | 251 | 26 | 40 | 22 | 339 |
When combining this goal threat with 2025/26’s crazy rate of 12.49 DefCon actions per 90 (only 10 are needed to bag extra points in a match), it’s easy to justify spending an extra half-million on him instead of Ferdi Kadioglu (£4.5m) and stopper Bart Verbruggen (£4.5m).
The Croatian should replace van Hecke in a defence that waited until November for last season’s first clean sheet, but made amends with a late run of five in 10. Fabian Hurzeler’s lot restricted opponents to the third-fewest goals (46) and fourth-lowest shots on target (142)
However, a slight setback is that the Seagulls’ early schedule turns nasty with October’s consecutive trips to Liverpool and Manchester City. That’s why they’re bottom of our free Fixture Ticker until Gameweek 10.
DAN BALLARD (SUNDERLAND)
Elsewhere, Sunderland overachieved by both qualifying for Europe and letting in 48 goals (fourth-fewest) from 54.45 xG. They conceded the third-most shots (540). Will these extra midweek matches make them regress to the average?
An initial trip to Ipswich Town looks promising, yet it doesn’t stop them having the second-worst fixture run until Gameweek 6. But people dismissed Regis Le Bris’ side last season, which backfired.
Scorer on the opening day, Ballard’s 0.80 PPMPM places him second-best in terms of £5.0m defender value.
Joint-fourth throughout his position for big chances (eight), he secured a very impressive 25 penalty area shots and 15 DefCon returns, despite only starting 24 times.
Teammate Omar Alderete (£5.0m) costs the same, having gained initial popularity thanks to a Gameweek 1 assist and Gameweek 6 goal.
HARRY MAGUIRE (MANCHESTER UNITED)
One of the more confusing teams to analyse was Manchester United. They shut out only two of their first 21 opponents, but season-long underlying stats were good, being amongst the best four at restricting shots on target (138), big chances (72) and xGC (48.57).
Things certainly improved once Michael Carrick temporarily took charge. Now permanent, his team begins against two promoted outfits, sitting second on the Fixture Ticker over the first six and 10 Gameweeks.
By instinct, FPL managers assume that Maguire’s attacking threat is high. But the delivery of one goal, two big chances and four shots on target isn’t as high as anticipated. That said, with Casemiro no longer around, perhaps he’ll be the new set-piece target.
The same-priced Diogo Dalot (six assists, five big chances) could also make sense, or choosing to save money by picking Luke Shaw (£4.5m).
JEREMY JACQUET (LIVERPOOL)
Meanwhile, Liverpool have signed a 21-year-old replacement for Ibrahima Konate.
But although Jacquet could be a fine, cheap alternative to Virgil van Dijk (£6.5m) during their four decent opening fixtures, the Reds conceded the eighth-most goals (53) and tenth-most big chances (85), despite being third-best for xGC (47.43).
A potential problem is that, soon after his £55 million deal was agreed back in February, Jacquet suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. That could force an easing in, which is something to monitor in pre-season.
“With Jeremy, we decided to take it easy with him. He has been a lot of months without playing with a shoulder injury. So, I think we are going to take it easy with him. He will play probably the last game of this US tour and he will have time to have minutes. It’s true that we were kind of happy but we’ve lost one now.” – Andoni Iraola on Jeremy Jacquet
MALICK THIAW / LEWIS HALL (NEWCASTLE UNITED)
Recommending a backline that only kept three clean sheets from Gameweek 8 onwards is tough. Newcastle probably have the uncertainty of a new head coach but don’t need to juggle European football this time.
Besides, Thiaw concluded as the number two defender for big chances (10) and number three for expected goals (xG, 4.72). Like van de Ven, he scored twice away at Everton.
As for full-back Hall, he was surprisingly left out of England’s World Cup squad, and will be determined to prove himself. Forward-thinking and often crossing, the 21-year-old assisted seven times in 2024/25.
Gameweek 1, at home to Liverpool, promises to be a highly emotional afternoon, taking into account the late, great Kevin Keegan, alongside the first return of Alexander Isak (£9.0m). There’s also a feeling that the Magpies are falling apart. But their first 10 fixtures actually rank first, which demands some Thiaw and Hall attention.
TARIK MUHAREMOVIC (LEEDS UNITED)
At Leeds, the Pascal Struijk (£5.0m) sale led to the purchase of another left-footed centre-back.
£34.1 million Muharemovic arrives fresh from a World Cup where he was dismissed, then became the player fouled by Folarin Balogun for his infamous red card.
Beyond the four goals and four assists during two Sassuolo seasons, the 6ft 4in giant could be perfect for DefCon points. In 2025/26, he averaged 10.8 actions per 90 minutes. Of all Premier League defenders who played at least 2,200 minutes, only Senesi, Konstantinos Mavropanos and Maxence Lacroix (£6.0m) bettered this.
Daniel Farke’s side won’t face one of last season’s top seven until Gameweek 6, and kept four clean sheets in their final eight encounters.
CHRIS RICHARDS / JAYDEE CANVOT (CRYSTAL PALACE)
Finally, a nod towards Crystal Palace. They began 2025/26 superbly, securing seven clean sheets in 14 matches, before tailing off.
Now they have to cope without Glasner and Lacroix, but those liking the Eagles’ early fixture run can still invest.
Canvot, for example, has been a regular starter since Gameweek 27. He earned four double-digit hauls and grabbed DefCon points 10 times, despite a mere 14 starts.
Above: Each occasion when Jaydee Canvot played more than 40 minutes
Whereas Richards brought a worse DefCon rate, but should have had 3.74 goal involvement instead of 1.00. Half a million less than both is wing-back Tyrick Mitchell (£4.5m).
