Premium defenders in 2023/24 Fantasy Premier League have suffered from a lack of output at both ends of the pitch.
Just 14 clean sheets have been recorded in 2023/24, down 33 per cent from a total of 21 in the first four Gameweeks of the previous campaign.
See: All you need as FPL returns
Meanwhile, of the seven defenders to produce at least two attacking returns this term, six are priced under £5.0m.
The only exception is Brighton & Hove Albion’s Pervis Estupinan (£5.3m), who is the most popular defender in Fantasy.
The Ecuadorian has rewarded his 64 per cent backers with a goal and two assists, amassing 21 points despite failing to keep a single clean sheet.
Although budget defenders have dominated in terms of attacking output, the underlying numbers show a host of more expensive players are boasting plenty of threat.
Matty Cash (£4.6m) is the only sub-£5.0m defender among the top five for goal threat, while his Aston Villa team-mate Lucas Digne (£4.5m) is the only defender under £5.0m among the top five for creativity.
Top defenders for goal threat
| Player | Shots | Shots in box | Shots on target | Goals | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matty Cash | 9 | 7 | 5 | 2 | £4.6m |
| Lewis Dunk | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | £5.0m |
| Pedro Porro | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | £5.0m |
| Ben Chilwell | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | £5.8m |
| Pervis Estupinan | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | £5.3m |
Estupinan and Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell (£5.8m) are the standout defenders for all-round potential in the first four Gameweeks.
They are the only two to rank among the top five for both goal threat and creativity, with the Brighton defender's 12 chances created more than any other player in his position in Fantasy.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Pedro Porro (£5.0m) has boasted a considerable goal threat since making his first start of the season in Gameweek 2.
The Spaniard’s seven shots place second in defence, whereas his more popular fellow Spurs full-back Destiny Udogie (£4.7m), has managed only one shot.
Indeed, Porro has yet to blank this term, combining an assist with two clean sheets across his three appearances.
Most creative defenders
| Player | Key passes | Big chances created | Assists | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pervis Estupinan | 12 | 3 | 2 | £5.3m |
| Lucas Digne | 10 | 0 | 2 | £4.5m |
| Kieran Trippier | 10 | 1 | 0 | £6.5m |
| Trent Alexander-Arnold | 9 | 2 | 1 | £7.9m |
| Ben Chilwell | 9 | 2 | 1 | £5.8m |
Kieran Trippier (£6.5m) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.9m) have both the underlying statistics and schedules to improve their slow starts to the campaign.
Despite failing to supply an assist so far, Trippier has been the joint-second most creative defender with 10 key passes.
According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), four of Newcastle’s next six matches score just two, suggesting Trippier could start to justify his lofty price tag.
Alexander-Arnold has managed only one assist from his nine chances created.
But with five of Liverpool’s next seven matches scoring two in the FDR, the England star may yet force managers into re-thinking their budgets at the back.
