Having kicked off our assessment of the Sky Sports Player List by casting an eye over the goalkeepers, we now turn our attentions to defence.
Breaking down the teams one-by-one, I also offer my preferred pick from each backline for the upcoming season.
When it comes to scoring, clean sheets are the bread and butter of our defenders’ points, with each successful shut-out bringing home five points. Also consider that for each goal conceded, your defender will receive minus one point, which can quickly turn your backline into a drain on your team’s point total should your defender(s) incur a heavy loss.
It’s worth noting that there are some tweaks to the scoring this season that could factor into your player selection.
For example, defenders now earn seven points for a goal instead of five, whilst players now only need to make three successful tackles – as opposed to four last year – to collect two bonus points.
Looking at the Members Area stats and viewing the Sky tab for any given Gameweek should show just how significant this could be, with over ten players producing three completed challenges in most weeks.
Whilst seven points for a goal might sway some to pick centre-backs for their aerial threat in the box, it’s extremely likely that full-backs will comfortably match and, in most cases, exceed their defensive team-mates due to a higher rate of tackles.
Arsenal
The Gunners defence offered a steady source of Fantasy returns last term – Arsene Wenger’s side managed 18 clean sheets and conceded only 36 times.
Early on, however, Arsenal look stretched in this area despite some decent fixtures in the first quarter. With Per Mertesacker (9.2) ruled out for a few months, and Laurent Koscielny (10.3) taking part in a draining Euro 2016, it’s unclear at this stage how they will line up in Gameweek 1.
Gabriel (8.9) looks likely to feature and offer pretty good value – impressively, he equaled Koscielny’s 16 bonus points despite playing 15 matches less.
Longer term, though, the full-backs look our best bet with Hector Bellerin (10.3) and Nacho Monreal (9.4) the first-choice options.
Whilst both carry an attacking threat and chipped in with five and three assists respectively, it’s the latter who looks the standout pick. Not only did he earn more bonus (14) than Bellerin (six), Monreal also bettered his tackling stats (58 to 49) and also comes in at a significantly cheaper price.
My Pick: Nacho Monreal, 9.4m
Bournemouth
With lots of coming and goings at the back and a number of injuries hampering pre-season preparation, it’s tricky to predict how Eddie Howe’s side will initially line up.
Charlie Daniels (6.8) was listed as midfielder last season and despite playing at left-back, managed to rack up 115 points due in the main to avoiding minus points for goals conceded and being on penalty duties. With Callum Wilson likely to be number one for spot-kicks and new competition from Brad Smith (6.0), it’s probably safest to look elsewhere.
Nathan Ake (6.3) performed well at Watford last season and could come in to the team at centre-back or even in central midfield, making him one to keep an eye out for.
Steve Cook (5.6) and Adam Smith (5.8) have been kindly priced given their respective goal tallies of four and two but it’s Simon Francis (6.0) who looks the most viable option.
Francis was the highest scoring defender in the entire game last season for bonus points, earning an extra 32 points despite being shifted into a centre-back role for a number of matches. Considering he was also joint-third amongst defenders for completed challenges, the new Cherries skipper looks set to benefit from the new rule change.
My Pick: Simon Francis, 6.0m
Burnley
The Championship winners arrive on the back of 20 clean sheets across the previous campaign.
Having scored five times and produced 34 attempts on goal, Michael Keane (6.6) is understandably the most expensive defender on option amongst Sean Dyche’s regulars.
Ben Mee (6.3) started last term at left-back but was shifted into centre-half midway through the season – having scored just twice, though, he fares poorly when compared to Keane when you consider the minimal price difference.
Full-backs Matt Lowton (one goal, three assists) and Stephen Ward (one goal, four assists) both come in at 6.0 and could emerge as secure starters for the Clarets but it’s Keane who looks the jewel in the crown here.
My Pick: Michael Keane, 6.6m
Chelsea
A shocker of a season meant the usually reliable Blues kept just nine clean sheets and shipped 53 goals.
There’s cause for optimism, however, with the defensively minded Antonio Conte at the helm and the acquisition of N’Golo Kante likely to bolster their resolve.
Assuming it’s a back four for Conte, then Cesar Azpilicueta (9.6), John Terry (9.0), Gary Cahill (9.4) and Branislav Ivanovic (10.0) look likeliest to feature, at least until Kurt Zouma (8.8) is back fit and challenging at centre-back.
Once fit, we expect Zouma to cement a starting role and offer relatively decent value, though it’s Azpilicueta that gets our nod amongst the Chelsea defence. The Spaniard already dominates in bonus points due to his impressive tally of 86 tackles (second most among defenders) and should be further rewarded in that area this season.
My Pick: Cesar Azpilicueta, 9.6m
Crystal Palace
The Eagles’ assets have been priced very kindly after earning just eight clean sheets last season.
Alan Pardew’s side also have an obliging early schedule that could draw some attention. At 7.1, Scott Dann is the costliest option due to five goals last season, though the aerial threat of new boy James Tomkins (6.4) could benefit from set-piece situations and see him emerge as the value pick.
Damien Delaney’s (6.6) advancing years mean he will likely be reduced to a bench role whilst Pape Souare (6.7) and Joel Ward (6.4) are expect to continue to occupy the full-back berths. Ward could challenge Dann as the pick of the bunch given he made 29 more challenges and comes in at 0.7 cheaper.
My Pick: Scott Dann, 7.1m
Everton
The Toffees defence seems slightly underpriced this season following a poor return of ten clean sheets last campaign.
Couple this with a more defensively astute manager and Everton’s assets could play a key role in our Sky Sports teams. Former premium option Leighton Baines comes in at an eye-catching 7.3 and has the potential to make a mockery of that valuation if he can is handed set-piece duties and penalties by Ronald Koeman.
Seamus Coleman’s (7.6) offers an interesting alternative if the Everton boss can steer the full-back to rediscover the sort of form that saw him score six times in 2013/14.
John Stones (7.9), Ramiro Funes Mori (7.1) and Phil Jagielka (7.2) look set to battle it out for two centre-back spots unless Koeman opts for a 3-5-2 set up or Stones leaves the club as rumored. Of those options, Funes Mori perhaps offers the greatest potential with four goals, an assist and ten bonus points earned in 28 appearances.
My Pick: Leighton Baines, 7.3m
Hull
Like Burnley, the Tigers also managed 20 shut-outs over the course of the previous campaign but the departure of Steve Bruce, allied with injuries to a number of players, has curbed any initial enthusiasm.
Michael Dawson (6.2) and Moses Odubajo (5.9) had looked certain to start but both have been ruled out for months due to injury. The latter’s ball-winning ability in particular suggests he could be a steal at that price but a knee problem will keep him on the sidelines until January.
With a new manager yet to be installed, the Hull defence remains in a state of flux, then, and a number of cheaper options could yet find their way into contention.
For now, though, Curtis Davies (two goals last year) and Andrew Robertson (three goals, four assists) seem the only two definite starters.
At 6.5 to 6.3, Davies is slightly more expensive that raiding left-back Robertson but his close-range threat just gives him the advantage – a total of 25 efforts inside the box was fifth amongst all Hull players in the previous campaign.
My Pick: Curtis Davies, 6.5m
Leicester
A total of 15 clean sheets last time out and a stable back-four means Leicester’s assets should by high on our agenda – all the more so due to their extremely kind pricing.
Danny Simpson (7.2), is the cheapest option on offer, given he scored around 30 points less that his defensive team-mates in 2015/16. The full-back failed to score or assist a single goal but did register the second highest amount of tackles of the four.
Christian Fuchs’ (7.8) 77 tackles puts him third alongside Francis overall, despite starting only 30 times. The Austrian also picked up four assists and is clearly the strongest candidate here.
Robert Huth (7.4) and skipper Wes Morgan (7.5) scored 135 and 132 points respectively and look likeliest to benefit from the extra points on offer for goals, seeing as they netted five times between them last time out.
My Pick: Christian Fuchs, 7.8m
Liverpool
Despite registering just 11 clean sheets and conceding 50 times, Liverpool’s defensive options have been priced slightly higher than expected.
Perhaps a full season under Jurgen Klopp and a lack of European action will see the Reds’ markedly improve in this area. Nathaniel Clyne (8.7) arguably looks the safest pick but after a poor return of 78 points last time around its hard to justify including him, particularly with some tricky fixtures from the outset.
Alberto Moreno (8.2) looks the better pick if he can remain first choice; the Spaniard scored once, assisted four times and completed the most tackles in the Liverpool defensive ranks – he also created more chances than any other defender in the league (61) so clearly there is potential.
Mamadou Sakho (8.5), Dejan Lovren (8.6), and new boys Joel Matip (8.2) and Ragnar Klavan (7.8) looks set to compete for the centre-back spot. Of these options, the six foot five Matip looks the most appealing given his 18 goals in 198 appearances prior to arriving at Anfield this summer.
My Pick: Alberto Moreno, 8.2m
Man City
City picked up 16 clean sheets last season despite conceding 41 goals, which makes them the most porous of this year’s premium priced defences.
With Pep Guardiola now at the helm, there’s a degree of uncertainty at the back until arguably the end of the summer transfer window. Vincent Kompany (9.8), Nicolas Otamendi (9.7) and Eliaquim Mangala (8.4) will compete for centre-back berths, with the former surely nailed on when/if fit.
Clearly, if John Stones (7.9) moves to the Etihad, he could emerge as the standout option here – given Guardiola’s penchant for playing out from the back, Stones would be expected to improve on last term’s 18 bonus points from passing under Pep’s guidance.
For now, though, the full-backs look marginally safer selections. French duo Gael Clichy (8.7) and Bacary Sagna (9.0) established themselves as first choice over Aleksandar Kolarov (8.4) and Pablo Zabaleta (8.3) and, at present, Sagna looks to be the best route into their defence overall, with three assists and 16 bonus points.
My Pick: Bacary Sagna, 9.0m
Man United
The Red Devils defence was joint-top for both clean sheets (18) and goals conceded (35) in the previous campaign.
How much of that was due to Louis Van Gaal remains to be seen, though United are expected to remain one of the most resilient rearguards around under new manager Jose Mourinho.
Chris Smalling comes in at a hefty 10.0 despite scoring 134 points (one less than the 7.4-priced Robert Huth) and although he’s likely to be the safest choice, the centre-half will struggle to offer value given he managed just one assist and six bonus points.
New signing Eric Bailly (9.2) and the injury prone Phil Jones (7.2) are the favourites to partner Smalling but offer little going forward and will struggle to earn tackles at centre-back.
There are number of other options open at full-back including a raft of youngsters but it’s likely Matteo Darmian (8.0) and Antonio Valencia (8.0) will compete for the right-back spot and could offer great value. Darmian, in particular, has fantastic bonus potential given he made 69 tackles in just 24 starts and four sub appearances.
Luke Shaw (9.2) is perhaps the most exciting option. Before suffering a broken leg season, he was shaping up to be an explosive option due to his raids down the left hand side and, presuming he can stay fit, should offer significant attacking threat.
My Pick: Luke Shaw, 9.2m
Middlesbrough
The Teeside team boasted the best defensive record in last season’s Championship, racking up 22 clean sheets and conceding on just 31 occasions.
Arguably, the full-back positions look the most secure for the start of the season.
George Friend (6.3) is nailed-on down the left and his defensive work could prove particularly handy for Sky Sports managers – although he managed just one goal and two assists last term, Friend averaged 2.3 successful challenges per appearance and should benefit from the new rule change regarding bonus.
New right-back Antonio Barragan (6.5) could also be one to consider if he acclimatises quickly after arriving from Valencia – his average of 39.5 minutes per successful tackle in 2015/16 is near-identical to Friend’s 38.1 in the Championship.
At centre-half, both Daniel Ayala (6.7) and summer signing from Sporting Gijon Bernardo Espinoza (6.3) are currently nursing injuries and are rated as slight doubts for the start of the season. It remains to be seen what effect the latter’s arrival will have on Ben Gibson’s (6.3) pitch time, with Ayala – who netted three times last term – looking the safest bet amongst the centre-backs when fully fit.
My Pick: George Friend, 6.3m
Southampton
It seems like deja-vu once again for the Saints, with a change in manager and the loss of some key assets in another summer of upheaval.
Thankfully this time, the defence has been left intact. Ryan Bertrand (7.7) Jose Fonte (7.8) and Virgil van Dijk (8.1) are all similarly priced, with the later two offering a goal scoring threat from set-pieces and ten bonus points apiece.
Cedric Soares (7.0), Cuco Martina (6.4) and new boy Jeremy Pied (6.1) should duke it out for the right-back spot.
Although Soares started 23 times last term, Pied’s arrival sees him reunite with Saints manager Claude Puel for the third time and he may well be set to cement a starting role. At present, there’s too much uncertainty but if Pied can nail down that spot, he clearly has the potential for strong value.
My Pick: Virgil van Dijk, 8.1m
Stoke
The Potters defence is kindly priced after a mid-table ten clean sheets for the 2015/16 season.
With no additions in this area so far, it looks fairly straightforward who will feature unless Mark Hughes decided to go with 3-5-2 as per recent friendly matches. Certainly the standout option is Erik Pieters (6.8) – the full-back won more tackles than any other player in the league (92) to assist his lack of attacking output.
Ryan Shawcross (6.8) and Phillip Wollscheid (6.6) should occupy central defence although neither offer much in terms of attacking points or bonus potential.
Glen Johnson (6.9) is back fit and should come in for Geoff Cameron (6.4). Johnson is the most attacking option amongst Stoke’s backline and grabbed three assists last term – if deployed as a wingback, the former Liverpool defender could be decent value. Marc Muniesa (6.4) is likely to offer back up, though could come into the equation if Hughes opts for a three-man defence.
My Pick: Erik Pieters, 6.8m.
Sunderland
Sky Sports have listed just five Black Cats first team defenders for selection.
Billy Jones (6.1) is the cheapest on offer and racked up a decent 56 tackles in his 23 starts to go alongside a goal and an assist, though new manager David Moyes is determined to strengthen at right-back and is looking to reacquire DeAndre Yedlin from Spurs.
Patrick Van Aanholt (7.0) scored more goals than any other defender last term (six). The left-back also grabbed three assists and picked up a decent 10 bonus points courtesy of his tackling skills and should benefit from the new rule changes.
Lamine Kone (6.7) and Younes Kaboul (6.5) should see off John O’Shea’s challenge (6.2) with Kone the pick of the centre-backs after two goals and an assist in 15 matches after arriving in the winter transfer window.
My Pick: Patrick van Aanholt, 7.0m
Swansea
The Swans managed nine shut-outs last season but are well geared up to deal with the Sky Sports game’s bonus points system.
Many of the backline tend to flirt with passing bonus on a semi-regular basis. Neil Taylor (6.6) should continue as first choice left-back after a decent Euro 2016 but struggled to have any attacking or bonus impact last season.
One of Kyle Naughton (6.6) or Angel Rangel (5.6) should pick up the right-back spot with the Spaniard’s price tag clearly holding more appeal for those looking to save in defence.
Ashley Williams (7.3) and Federico Fernandez (6.6) should continue at centre-back although new signing Mike van der Hoorn (5.5) will be hoping to make an impact. Williams scored 118 points last season despite a poor overall campaign for the Swans and earned six Man of The Match award (MoTM) awards last term – only Van Dijk (four) came close to that at the back.
My Pick: Ashley Williams, 7.3m
Tottenham
Despite a 5-1 hammering at Newcastle on the final day of the season, Mauricio Pochettino’s men boasted the joint-top defence in 2015/16, with 35 goals against.
With 13 clean sheets, two assists and four goals, Toby Alderweireld (10.5) is the Sky Sports game’s most expensive defender. The Belgian only managed eight points in bonus last season due to passing, however, and, like Smalling, may struggle to justify such a heavy outlay.
Jan Vertonghen (9.8) will be his partner on return from injury whilst Kevin Wimmer (7.4) may fill in until then. Full-backs Kieran Trippier (7.1) and Ben Davies (7.3) will likely play second fiddle to Kyle Walker (9.5) and Danny Rose (9.3) respectively.
Both Walker and Rose managed one goal and three assists, although the former won on bonus points by 16 to 12 – despite this, the latter is the better option, given he managed this in just 24 starts compared to Walker’s 33. Assuming he can avoid the treatment room, Rose looks the best bet here, though rotation – particularly around Champions League matches – could be an issue that persuades many to look elsewhere.
My Pick: Danny Rose, 9.3m
Watford
Eleven clean sheets under Quique Sanchez Flores last term meant Watford’s defensive assets were excellent value in 2015/16.
One would expect a hike across the board then but seemingly this is not the case, with no player costing more than 6.2m.
Regardless, with new manager Walter Mazzarri favouring a 3-5-2 formation and a number of new signings to consider, the Hornets’ backline looks like one of the trickiest to initially pin down.
Allan Nyom (6.2) racked up 16 bonus points due to his 75 completed challenges and finished fifth overall for tackles, though it remains to be seen if the Cameroonian will feature in the back three or as a wing-back.
Certainly Craig Cathcart (6.2), Miguel Britos (6.2), Sebastian Prodl (6.1) and new boy Christian Kabasele (5.7) will be keen to impress at centre-back whilst Juan Carlos Paredes (5.5), Brice Dja Djedje (5.9), Jose Holebas (5.5) and Juan Zuniga (6.1) could even be competing with some midfielders to occupy the two wing-back roles.
As it stands, then, the versatile Nyom looks the safest choice to begin with but, over the course of the season, and as Watford’s schedule eases, we could see one of the cheaper options challenge him. Holebas, in particular, could be one to monitor if he can nail down the left wing-back position.
My Pick: Allan Nyom, 6.2m
West Brom
After serving up 16 clean sheets in 2014/15, the Baggies were a little less impressive in defence last time out and registered just 11 shut-outs.
Nonetheless, Tony Pulis’ desire to keep it tight once again will likely see Fantasy managers flock to the Baggies and, given their kind pricing and decent early fixtures, it looks a decent tactic.
Jonny Evans (6.7) played a number of matches in central midfield but still only brought home four bonus points. Gareth McAuley (6.7) and Jonas Olsson (6.2) managed a goal apiece at centre-back but failed to register a single bonus point, whilst Chris Brunt remains classified as a midfielder despite playing at left-back.
That leaves right-back Craig Dawson (6.9), who managed four goals for the season, as the priciest option on show. After an impressive Euro 2016, James Chester (6.4) will be looking to oust veteran McAuley in the first XI and is one to monitor – he averaged bonus every 169 minutes last term, far superior to the next best Evans’ average of 683 minutes.
My Pick: Craig Dawson, 6.9m
West Ham
The Hammers have also been kindly priced on the back of 11 clean sheets in Slaven Bilic’s first year in charge.
Unsurprisingly, raiding left-back Aaron Cresswell (7.5) is the priciest option and looked set to be the pick of the bunch before his cruel injury in pre-season. For now, then, it’s uncertain who fills in in his absence, with Bilic likely to look for reinforcements, though there’s a slim chance that Sam Byram (6.1) could deputise if midfielder Michail Antonio continues to be preferred at right-back.
Angelo Obonna (7.0) and Winston Reid (6.9) look the likely starters in the heart of Bilic’s defence, with James Collins (6.2) offering back-up.
Several youngsters could come into the team and stake a claim but for now Reid offers the most security of starts and earned the most bonus of any West Ham defender, so he gets our nod until Cresswell is back.
My Pick: Winston Reid, 6.9m
Sky Sports Fantasy Football Scout Leagues
We’ve already set up the official Scout League with a top prize of £1000 on offer to the winner.
If you’ve tinkered with your Sky team and are looking to get involved, our league name is FFScout and the code is 8183867.
Finally, we’ve set up a community article to exclusively deal with Sky Sports Fantasy teams. Those looking to get involved with the discussion should click this link.
