Best FPL Defenders — 2025/26
Complete defenders rankings by points, form, value & fixtures. Updated daily.
Top 20 FPL Defenders by Points
| # | Player | Team | Price | Pts | Form | PPG | xGI | Own% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gabriel | ARS | £7.2m | 173 | 9.0 | 6.9 | 3.55 | 42.9% |
| 2 | J.Timber | ARS | £6.3m | 149 | 1.0 | 5.0 | 6.24 | 26.4% |
| 3 | Tarkowski | EVE | £5.7m | 142 | 3.0 | 4.7 | 3.40 | 11.7% |
| 4 | Senesi | BOU | £5.1m | 137 | 5.5 | 4.6 | 5.49 | 20.1% |
| 5 | Virgil | LIV | £6.3m | 135 | 2.5 | 4.4 | 3.84 | 34.7% |
| 6 | Guéhi | MCI | £5.1m | 135 | 2.0 | 4.8 | 5.58 | 33.6% |
| 7 | Chalobah | CHE | £5.4m | 131 | 1.0 | 4.5 | 2.31 | 13.1% |
| 8 | Lacroix | CRY | £5.1m | 128 | 9.0 | 4.6 | 2.88 | 4.7% |
| 9 | Matheus N. | MCI | £5.3m | 128 | 2.0 | 4.7 | 2.17 | 3.0% |
| 10 | O'Reilly | MCI | £5.0m | 125 | 2.0 | 4.5 | 5.70 | 9.7% |
| 11 | Truffert | BOU | £4.7m | 122 | 7.5 | 3.9 | 2.87 | 3.3% |
| 12 | Van Hecke | BHA | £4.5m | 120 | 6.5 | 4.1 | 3.33 | 5.7% |
| 13 | Keane | EVE | £4.6m | 118 | 5.5 | 4.4 | 2.17 | 3.2% |
| 14 | Ballard | SUN | £4.7m | 118 | 2.0 | 4.5 | 3.00 | 3.7% |
| 15 | Mukiele | SUN | £4.5m | 115 | 0.0 | 4.6 | 3.03 | 7.0% |
| 16 | Mitchell | CRY | £5.0m | 114 | 6.0 | 3.8 | 2.69 | 2.1% |
| 17 | Richards | CRY | £4.4m | 114 | 10.0 | 4.4 | 2.57 | 2.5% |
| 18 | Thiaw | NEW | £5.1m | 114 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 4.62 | 8.0% |
| 19 | James | CHE | £5.6m | 113 | 1.0 | 4.2 | 4.17 | 7.2% |
| 20 | Rúben | MCI | £5.5m | 112 | 0.0 | 4.5 | 1.20 | 3.4% |
Best Value Defenders (Points per £m)
Ranked by total points divided by current price — the efficiency metric
| # | Player | Team | Price | Pts | Pts/£m | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Senesi | BOU | £5.1m | 137 | 26.9 | 5.5 |
| 2 | Van Hecke | BHA | £4.5m | 120 | 26.7 | 6.5 |
| 3 | Guéhi | MCI | £5.1m | 135 | 26.5 | 2.0 |
| 4 | Truffert | BOU | £4.7m | 122 | 26.0 | 7.5 |
| 5 | Richards | CRY | £4.4m | 114 | 25.9 | 10.0 |
| 6 | Keane | EVE | £4.6m | 118 | 25.7 | 5.5 |
| 7 | Mukiele | SUN | £4.5m | 115 | 25.6 | 0.0 |
| 8 | Rodon | LEE | £3.9m | 99 | 25.4 | 7.0 |
| 9 | Lacroix | CRY | £5.1m | 128 | 25.1 | 9.0 |
| 10 | Ballard | SUN | £4.7m | 118 | 25.1 | 2.0 |
Budget Defenders (Under £5.5m)
Affordable options that free up funds for premium picks elsewhere
| Player | Team | Price | Pts | Form | PPG | Own% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senesi | BOU | £5.1m | 137 | 5.5 | 4.6 | 20.1% |
| Van Hecke | BHA | £4.5m | 120 | 6.5 | 4.1 | 5.7% |
| Guéhi | MCI | £5.1m | 135 | 2.0 | 4.8 | 33.6% |
| Truffert | BOU | £4.7m | 122 | 7.5 | 3.9 | 3.3% |
| Richards | CRY | £4.4m | 114 | 10.0 | 4.4 | 2.5% |
| Keane | EVE | £4.6m | 118 | 5.5 | 4.4 | 3.2% |
| Mukiele | SUN | £4.5m | 115 | 0.0 | 4.6 | 7.0% |
| Rodon | LEE | £3.9m | 99 | 7.0 | 3.4 | 4.2% |
| Alderete | SUN | £4.1m | 103 | 1.5 | 3.8 | 6.6% |
| Ballard | SUN | £4.7m | 118 | 2.0 | 4.5 | 3.7% |
Premium Defenders (£6.0m+)
High-ceiling options for captaincy and season-long returns
In-Form Defenders
Highest current form rating — momentum matters in FPL
| Player | Team | Price | Form | Pts | PPG | GW Transfers In |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saliba | ARS | £6.1m | 11.0 | 107 | 4.3 | +42,863 |
| Canvot | CRY | £4.5m | 11.0 | 48 | 3.7 | +4,615 |
| Richards | CRY | £4.4m | 10.0 | 114 | 4.4 | +18,837 |
| N.Williams | NFO | £4.7m | 10.0 | 104 | 3.5 | +31,616 |
| Gabriel | ARS | £7.2m | 9.0 | 173 | 6.9 | +86,113 |
| Lacroix | CRY | £5.1m | 9.0 | 128 | 4.6 | +34,244 |
| Bijol | LEE | £3.9m | 9.0 | 66 | 3.7 | +16,023 |
| Aina | NFO | £4.7m | 8.0 | 54 | 3.6 | +3,306 |
| Truffert | BOU | £4.7m | 7.5 | 122 | 3.9 | +40,510 |
| Milenković | NFO | £5.1m | 7.5 | 96 | 3.1 | +5,504 |
Defenders With Best Upcoming Fixtures
Players with average FDR ≤ 2.5 over next 5 fixtures
| Player | Team | Price | Form | Next 5 Fixtures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bijol | LEE | £3.9m | 9.0 |
MUNWOLBOUBURTOT
|
| Rodon | LEE | £3.9m | 7.0 |
MUNWOLBOUBURTOT
|
| Van Hecke | BHA | £4.5m | 6.5 |
BURTOTCHENEWWOL
|
| Struijk | LEE | £4.3m | 6.5 |
MUNWOLBOUBURTOT
|
| Dunk | BHA | £4.5m | 6.0 |
BURTOTCHENEWWOL
|
| Justin | LEE | £3.9m | 6.0 |
MUNWOLBOUBURTOT
|
| Digne | AVL | £4.5m | 5.5 |
NFOSUNFULTOTBUR
|
| F.Kadıoğlu | BHA | £4.4m | 5.0 |
BURTOTCHENEWWOL
|
| Konsa | AVL | £4.4m | 3.5 |
NFOSUNFULTOTBUR
|
| Cash | AVL | £4.7m | 3.0 |
NFOSUNFULTOTBUR
|
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the best FPL defenders in 2025/26?
The top FPL defenders by total points are: 1. Gabriel (173pts, £7.2m), 2. J.Timber (149pts, £6.3m), 3. Tarkowski (142pts, £5.7m), 4. Senesi (137pts, £5.1m), 5. Virgil (135pts, £6.3m).
Who are the best budget FPL defenders?
Best budget defenders (under £5.5m): Senesi (137pts, £5.1m), Van Hecke (120pts, £4.5m), Guéhi (135pts, £5.1m). These offer strong points per million.
How many defenders should I have in my FPL team?
FPL squads need 5 defenders (3-5 starting). Most managers use a formation that maximises their best players.
Are premium FPL defenders worth it?
Premium defenders like Gabriel (£7.2m, 173pts) and J.Timber (£6.3m, 149pts) can justify their price through high ceiling returns and captaincy potential.