­In our position-by-position guides, we’ll analyse the main players fighting to make managers’ opening squads.

Following our look at £4.0m, £4.5m and £5.0m options, let’s complete the analysis of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) defenders costing at least £5.5m.

• READ MORE: Best £4.0m defenders for FPL 2026/27
• READ MORE: Best £4.5m defenders for FPL 2026/27
• READ MORE: Best £5.0m defenders for FPL 2026/27

OVERVIEW

Seven defenders featured among the top 20 scoring players in FPL last season, five of which were centre-backs. Last season’s introduction of defensive contribution (DefCon) points moved the goalposts for such players. Gabriel Magalhaes (£8.0m) led the way with 209 points, while Marc Guehi (£6.0m) also placed in the top 10.

A couple of this season’s five priciest defenders are injured at present. William Saliba (£6.0m) will be out for “an extended period” with a back problem, while his Arsenal teammate Jurrien Timber (£6.5m) left the club’s Spanish training camp recently for a groin check.

At the time of writing, there are 34 players now within the £5.5m+ price range.

GABRIEL MAGALHAES (£8.0M)

Gabriel had a spectacular 2025/26. His 18 clean sheets were three more than any defender, his 30 bonus points 11 more than any player in his position, while three goals, five assists and 22 DefCon points all served to give him over 200 FPL points.

Had he not been reduced to a substitute’s role on the last day of the season, he would probably have beaten Andrew Robertson’s (£4.5m) record 213-point haul for a defender. As it was, he fell short by four points.

The handicappers have punished him accordingly, giving him a £2.0m price hike. The question is, is he worth that extra investment? Arsenal will be without arguably the best defender in the division in Saliba for an indeterminate period, although there are still decent options to partner the Brazilian…

CRISTHIAN MOSQUERA (5.5M)

When Timber and Ben White (£5.5m) suffered injuries at the end of last season, it was Mosquera who stepped in at right-back. The Spanish defender is a centre-back by trade, though, and having played 111 of his 129 appearances in Spain and England to date in his preferred central role, he is the most natural choice to step in for Saliba for the first weeks of the season.

Though still only 22, Mosquera has impressed whenever he has played in the heart of defence. He may not have the same passing accuracy as Saliba, but he is almost as quick and is good at making interceptions.

If Arsenal don’t sign another defender, Mosquera represents a value route into the Gunners’ defence for the first few weeks.

MARC GUEHI (£6.0M)

Marc Guehi’s move to Manchester City was seamless. In the first half of 2025/26 at Crystal Palace, he produced six attacking returns (two goals, four assists) in 20 matches. He also delivered seven clean sheets, 16 DefCon points and eight bonus, averaging 5.3 points per match.

At City, he weighed in with another goal and an assist, seven more clean sheets, six DefCon points and six bonus points. Guehi’s 179 total points made him the only other defender to feature in the game’s top 10.

For the first time in 10 years, though, City will be something of an unknown quantity. An injury to Rodri (£6.5m) could count against them, but the return to fitness of Josko Gvardiol (£5.5m) and the arrival of Elliot Anderson (£6.5m) are strong arguments they can tighten up at the back again.

NICO O’REILLY (6.5M)/JOSKO GVARDIOL (£5.5M)

O’Reilly was a godsend last season. Priced at £5.0m, he became Gvardiol 2.0 – excelling from both left-back and central midfield starting points. Only one defender scored more than his five goals or had more than his 41 shots, while he also weighed in with four assists in 29 starts and five substitute appearances.

From the turn of the year, his points per start average of 5.7 was a superior rate to any defender other than Gabriel.

Gvardiol’s 2025/26 campaign was plagued by injury last season, reducing him to only 18 starts. But if he is back to his best, he could represent a cheap route into City’s rearguard. He produced 153 points the season before last and was reportedly assured by Enzo Maresca, when he renewed his contract recently, that he was a ‘central pillar’ in his City side.

VIRGIL VAN DIJK (£6.5M)/MILOS KERKEZ (£5.5M)

With Liverpool defenders dropping like flies, Andoni Iraola will be delighted van Dijk has linked up with the squad after his post-World Cup break. The Dutchman scored more goals (six) than any defender last season and was the joint-third highest-scoring defender in FPL thanks to his 175 points.

That tally was his highest since 2021/22 despite the fact clean sheets (11) were down on the previous campaign. DefCon points (28) were key to that upturn.

But Iraola has already publicly declared that Liverpool need reinforcements, and with Ibrahima Konate gone and Joe Gomez (£5.0m) joining Giovanni Leoni (£4.0m) in the treatment ward, Van Dijk’s appeal, especially at his price, is somewhat diminished until he gets more help back there.

Coming in at £1m cheaper, Milos Kerkez (£5.5m) could potentially present better value. The Hungarian mustered two goals and one assist last season but made only 27 starts. Iraola knows how to get the best out of left-backs and, having managed Kerkez at Bournemouth, when in his final season on the south coast he produced two goals and six assists and racked up 134 points, he could make the most of a superb set of opening fixtures.

JAMES TARKOWSKI (£6.0M)

Tarkowski lived up to the expectations of managers who backed him last season by exploiting the new DefCon points system. The Everton defender banked DefCon in 21 out of his 36 appearances, with only one defender, Marco Senesi (£6.0m), returning more frequently in that department.

The former Burnley man also produced 16 attacking returns/clean sheets, and averaged 4.6 points per start – which was bettered by only eight defenders.

A no-nonsense competitor who has thrived under David Moyes, Tarkowski has been priced up expensively, but justifiably so. Everton’s fantastic opening set of fixtures suggests he could be worth the outlay.

DANIEL MUNOZ (£5.5M)

Munoz was one of the most fun players in FPL last season, and one of the few players who made opting for a wing-back a viable ‘old school’ option. He returned four goals and four assists, which was down on the four goals and six assists of the previous campaign, but he would have surpassed that haul had he not succumbed to knee and shoulder injuries that cost him seven weeks of the campaign.

The arrival of Pierre Sage is an unknown, but the Frenchman likes a 3-4-2-1 formation and his sides to execute turnovers by pressing high up the pitch, and Munoz needs no second invitation to rampage upfield.

Palace have a lovely set of opening fixtures, with the exception of Manchester City in Gameweek 2, but the absence of Maxence Lacroix (£6.0m) is a definite blow.

NORDI MUKIELE (£5.5M)

Few people gave Sunderland a chance of staying up, never mind getting into Europe, and key to their success was their defensive solidity, epitomised by Mukiele.

He returned three goals, five assists, nine clean sheets, 24 DefCon points, 11 bonus and 4.7 points per start for a total of 151 points. Not bad for someone who cost £4.0m last August. Catch him at the right time and he can haul big, too. His five double-digit returns, including a 17-pointer against Wolves in Gameweek 8, were bettered only by Gabriel. That said, teammate Dan Ballard (£5.0m) is slightly cheaper.

Sunderland’s first three fixtures look appetising, so with a 7.6% ownership, Mukiele could be a nice bargain differential to kick off the campaign, crucially before their European campaign starts.

PEDRO PORRO (£5.5M)

Porro was Spurs’ second-highest scoring player last season with 117 points and has the attacking output to thrive under Roberto De Zerbi. No defender created more chances than the Spaniard’s 53 last season, only one created more than his eight big chances and he delivered 70 more crosses (237) than any defender in the game.

Following the signings of Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke (£5.0m), Spurs should be more solid defensively, which means Porro, who ranked sixth for shots (32) last season, could add clean sheets to his threat from set-pieces. Fresh from a superb World Cup, he could come into his own, provided he is ready for Gameweek 1, of course.

Meanwhile, Senesi was the joint-third top-scoring defender last season alongside van Dijk, and he could be set for another strong campaign following his switch to Tottenham Hotspur. He was the DefCon king last season, hitting a full 50 points, the most of any defender. He was goalless for the second season in a row, but his passing ability and knack for causing bother in the area at set-pieces ensured he produced six assists. The only doubt is whether or not he will be first choice with van Hecke and Micky van de Ven (£5.0m) competing for places.

CHELSEA PLAYERS

Lacroix is an interesting prospect now that he has moved to Chelsea. He has been bought to start at the heart of a Chelsea side who should improve under Xabi Alonso. Lacroix was the eighth-best defender last season, despite losing his centre-back partner Guehi halfway through. He banked 11 clean sheets for a middling Palace side, but his super strength was his propensity for DefCon points. Among defenders, only Senesi and Tarkowski surpassed him on that score (40).

Other Chelsea defenders worth bearing in mind are Reece James (£5.5m) and Marco Palestra (£5.5m). James only just scraped past 100 points last season, but he made only 20 starts. In fact, he ranked joint-fifth among defenders for points per start with 5.3. A set-piece specialist, the Chelsea skipper has the quality to return end-product, fitness permitting.

Palestra is an unknown quantity but an exciting prospect who can play as a full-back or wing-back on either side. The Italian was the second-fastest player in Serie A last season, possesses excellent dribbling skills and can beat his man on either side. Alonso loves playing with attacking full/wing-backs, so Chelsea’s first summer signing could prove a canny signing for FPL managers, provided he is nailed.

ADRIEN TRUFFERT (£5.5M)/JAMES HILL (£5.5M)

It’s difficult to imagine Bournemouth being as impressive as they were last season without Iraola in the dugout, but the fact remains Truffert and Hill were excellent FPL assets in 2025/26. Truffert was one of only two full-backs among the seven defenders to feature in the game’s top 20 players, racking up 165 points, thanks to six assists, a goal and 11 clean sheets. He also weighed in with 22 DefCon points, while only Gabriel returned more bonus points than his 19.

Hill also shone. Coming into the team midway through the season, he never looked back from Gameweek 19 onwards, combining three assists with 26 DefCon points, the most of any defender and six more than Senesi during that period.

Much depends on whether the Cherries can still shine under new head coach Marco Rose, and how they can navigate a brutal opening six fixtures. For now, they are probably a wait-and-see.