Tuesday’s launch of the Fantasy Premier League game has given us the opportunity to dig deep into the player list to find the key options for your initial 15-man squads. After analysing the goalkeepers we now turn our attention to defenders, with those in the budget bracket the first to come under consideration.
Clean sheets are the bread and butter of a defender’s FPL points but there are other issues at play, particularly bonus point potential. It’s important to consider that the Bonus Point System (BPS), which is used to allocate the points, favours those defenders who complete passes and crosses, make clearances, blocks and interceptions (CBI) and win tackles.
The concept of rotation pairs is also a factor, particularly for budget defenders, to ensure that each Gameweek we can maximise the potential for a high score from our backline through careful planning around fixtures.
It’s ambitious to think that we can set our sights on assets priced below the 4.5 mark. Finding a 4.0-priced defender that offers regular starts is rare but, when they crop up, drafting them can be crucial in order to free up funds for premium options across your squad.
Amongst 2016/17’s rock bottom priced options there are a handful of 4.0 players that appear to have a slim chance of making a breakthrough into the first team fold.
Watford right back Juan Carlos Paredes is currently owned by over 16% of FPL managers, making him the sixth most popular defender in the game.
Although he secured seven starts and 10 sub appearances for the Hornets last season and could factor into new manager Walter Mazzarri’s 3-5-2 formation, the Ecuadorian faces some stiff competition for a starting berth.
The likes of midfielder Nordin Amrabat (5.0) has been used in a right wing back role in pre-season friendlies, while the signing of Juan Camilo Zuniga (yet to be added), who can operate on either flank, and potential arrival of Marseille right-back Brice Dja Djedje suggests Paredes could struggle to cement a place in the new manager’s plans.
Other 4.0 options worth monitoring include Stephen Kingsley at Swansea, Everton’s Matthew Pennington and Florin Gardos at Southampton. All three seem unlikely to begin the season as first choice, although they will doubtless stake claims for starts as the campaign unfolds.
Stoke’s Marc Wilson is another potential target to watch – Mark Hughes has so far deployed a three-man defence in pre-season, operating with wing-backs. While Wilson faces a challenge to break into that set-up, given the persistent back problems suffered by skipper Ryan Shawcross, he could get his opportunity at some point.
Leicester’s Marcin Wasilewski is another second string option. He could possibly start the opening day fixture with Hull City given that Robert Huth is serving out a suspension from last season. The Pole’s opportunities could be limited from that point on, however, with new signing Luis Hernandez (4.5) likely to jump above him in the defensive pecking order.
Overall, the prospects of a opening day 4.0 option look pretty slim, ensuring that we’re forced to raise our sights to the 4.5 bracket to begin filling our five defender slots.
As mentioned in our goalkeeper analysis, Middlesbrough have a favourable first five Gameweeks (STO, sun, wba, CPL, eve). Left back George Friend (4.5), who registered a goal and an assist last season, looks the pick of their 4.5 defenders. His frequent raids down the flank have already been a feature of pre-season and could prove fruitful if Boro can produce a goal threat.
Burnley can be paired in rotation with Boro and can offer up centre-back Ben Mee as a 4.5 option. Mee looks assured of starts and accumulated a strong CBI showing, together with two goals and an assist last season. However, Tom Heaton’s (4.5) save point potential arguably gives the goalkeeper the edge for those backing Sean Dyche’s backline.
Crystal Palace’s first five Gameweeks (WBA, tot, BOU, mid, STO, sun) are also largely favourable for clean sheets. With a price hike to 5.5 for Palace’s goal scoring defender Scott Dann and new recruit James Tomkins costing 5.0, Pape Souare (4.5) is the cheapest secure route into the Palace rearguard. However, with no goals and just one assist last term he offers little beyond clean sheet points.
The key to Palace’s appeal is that they rotate well with a number of sides that also offer budget or mid-price defensive assets, which certainly promotes Souare as an option.
Hull combine effectively with the Eagles early on, and at 4.5, left back Andrew Robertson, who scored three times and assisted a further four goals last season, looks a decent prospect. For a further 0.5 you can acquire Curtis Davies (5.0). Another regular in Hull’s promotion campaign, Davies produced 30 goal attempts, scored twice and had the highest CBI amongst his team-mates. Even so, given Hull’s pre-season injury list, that outlay looks prohibitive with Robertson’s price and forays forward seeming a better route.
Swansea City are another rotation option to work in tandem with Palace. Federico Fernandez has so far proved an attraction so far, already claiming over 8% ownership in the 4.5 defender bracket. With Lukasz Fabianski setting you back 5.0 in goal and skipper Ashley Williams claiming the same price tag, Fernandez, together with left-back Neil Taylor, appears a worthy target.
The Swans will certainly be backed to improve on their nine clean sheets from last season under the guidance of Francesco Guidolin. However, the signing of Mike van der Hoorn (4.5) offers strong competition to Fernandez, while the aforementioned Kingsley, together with the rotation option offered by Kyle Naughton and Angel Rangel, could threaten Taylor’s starts.
It’s always tempting to turn to Tony Pulis for assured clean sheets – despite West Brom’s miserable home record which saw them gather just five shut-outs at the Hawthorns last term. Among their 4.5 priced contenders Jonny Evans looks marginally the best bet, with a 3.2 points per game average last season, compared to veteran Gareth McAuley’s 2.9. With seven goal attempts they offer similar threat.
For those seeking a cheap rotation partner for a Baggies defender, Stoke look favourable partners. Erik Pieters (4.5) seems the most assured budget path into their defence, having started 35 times last season. With 93 FPL points he was also Stoke’s highest scoring defender in 2015/16. As mentioned, Mark Hughes has already toyed with a three-man defence in pre-season – that would see Pieters deployed as left wing-back, which should boost his attacking output.
Stoke rotate reasonably well with Bournemouth, which propels Simon Francis (4.5), who had the best CBI among Cherries defenders last season, into our thinking. For goal threat Adam Smith’s(4.5) two strikes and 15 goal attempts last season make him worth monitoring, although there are real doubts that he’ll claim a starting role in Eddie Howe’s rearguard. We’re expecting new skipper Francis to claim the right-back role, with Nathan Ake (4.5) partnering the set-piece threat of Steve Cook (5.0) in central defence.
While Vito Manonne (4.5) and Patrick van Aanholt (5.0) represent the stand-out options in Sunderland’s backline, Lamine Kone (4.5) is certainly an interesting proposition. The imposing centre-back notched twice and registered 10 efforts inside the box over 15 appearances last season.
Set-pieces are likely to remain paramount to Sunderland’s threat should Sam Allardyce remain in tenure, which would boost Kone’s prospects of further goals. The Black Cats will also be expected to improve their clean sheet tally, having mustered just seven all season last time out. Sunderland are yet another option that rotate well with Palace for projected defensive returns.
Watford have been cursed with an intimidating opening set of fixtures, which is likely to see most avoid their defence early on. Walter Mazzarri is, however, expected to deploy wing-backs which could possibly promote Allan Nyom (4.5) and Jose Holebas (4.5) in our thinking. Neither is guaranteed starting roles and the attack-minded Zuniga would certainly be the preferred option should he land an identical valuation. With Dja Djedje looking likely to arrive from Marseille, though, the wing-back situation looks far from clear right for the time being.
Other budget names worth monitoring include Liverpool’s Jon Flanagan (4.5), who could push Alberto Moreno (5.0) for starts. Brendan Galloway (4.5) at Everton is another that will be looking to impress in pre-season and secure a starting berth under Ronald Koeman.
Matt Targett remains on our radar having tempted us for a spell last season; we’ll be watching to see if he can break into Claude Puel’s plans. Cuco Martina (4.5) should also be monitored – he is expected to be locked in rotation with Cedric Soares (5.0) but could emerge as an option if he can cement starts under the new manager.
