Flying full-backs and goal-scoring centre-backs are the order of the day when it comes to FPL choices
The 2021-22 Premier League kicks off in August and fantasy football aficionados are already putting their teams together.
In the official Premier League fantasy football game, you must choose five defenders and it can be tough to settle on choices as you manage your budget.
Defenders who keep clean sheets are naturally desirable, but the key is to pick the ones who score goals or provide assists too.
To help you in your selection, Goal takes a look at the best fantasy football defenders in the Premier League, including a few bargains.
Check out Goal's ultimate fantasy football guide and take a look at the funniest fantasy football team names too.
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Getty Images1Trent Alexander-Arnold | Liverpool | £7.5m
Since breaking onto the scene in 2018-19, Trent Alexander-Arnold has been a key part of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool team and a fantasy football gem. Part of a mean defence, Alexander-Arnold also gets involved in the Reds' attacks and takes a wicked free kick. He scored 185 points in 2018-19, 210 in 2019-20 and, despite enduring injury woes in 2020-21 he still managed 160 points. He is the most expensive defender in this season's game.
AdvertisementGetty2Andy Robertson | Liverpool | £7mLike his partner-in-crime on the other flank, Liverpool's left-back Andy Robertson is one of the most expensive defenders in the game and with good reason. Across the past four seasons, Robertson's average FPL points haul is 166 points and he managed to breach the 200-point mark in 2018-19. The Scotland captain's eagerness to get forward to join attacks means he regularly chips in with assists.Getty3Virgil van Dijk | Liverpool | £6.5mFull-backs tend to be the top scorers in fantasy football due to the fact they spend a lot of time in the opposition half, but Virgil van Dijk is a rare example of a centre-back who scores just as highly. The Netherlands captain has returned from a nasty knee injury and will be expected to add a composure to the Reds backline that was missing for much of the season while he was out. Van Dijk is a constant threat from set-pieces and occasionally plays a defence-splitting pass from the back.Getty Images4Cesar Azpilicueta | Chelsea | £6mThe elder statesman of the Chelsea team, Cesar Azpilicueta has been mightily consistent across nine FPL seasons, averaging a score of 134 points per campaign. His role has evolved at Stamford Bridge however, so he hasn't hit the heights he scaled in 2016-17 and 2017-18, when he posted scores of over 170. At £6 million, he will take a chunk of your budget, but the Spain international is a proven performer.