The Scout continues a series of articles identifying the best players in each position in 2025/26 Fantasy Premier League, according to their price, statistics and fixtures.
Budget defenders (£4.5m and under)
A crucial way for managers to free up funds early in the season is to find one or even two defenders in the £4.0m bracket who are regular starters for their clubs.
As this price range is typically confined to players from the promoted clubs, the idea is to simply have them on your bench to be called upon only in emergencies.
This season’s new defensive contributions points metric, nonetheless, does look set to lift the appeal of such assets.
For example, it’s worth noting that last season a centre-back from each of the three promoted clubs would have finished among the top 10 defenders for defensive contributions points. Indeed, in the case of Southampton’s Jan Bednarek, he would have earned 40 points from defensive contributions – the equivalent of 10 MORE clean sheets.
Burnley’s Maxime Esteve, Leeds United’s Joe Rodon and Sunderland's Jenson Seelt are all examples of centre-backs from promoted clubs who are priced at a mere £4.0m in 2025/26.
Esteve has emerged as the most-popular defender in this range, found in over 11 per cent of squads. Seelt’s potential for defensive contribution points could make him a better option than his team-mate Reinildo (£4.0m). The latter, who is a left-back, can be found in 8.4 per cent of squads compared with the 0.4 per cent of Seelt.
Who are the best £4.5m defenders?
In the £4.5m price bracket, it’s best to analyse the early schedules over the first four-to-six Gameweeks to help refine your search.
According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), where the difficulty of each fixture is ranked from one to five - with one being the easiest possible match and five being the hardest – Tottenham Hotspur have the joint-best run over the first six Gameweeks, with an average score of 2.67 matched by Nottingham Forest and Sunderland.
Spurs' first six fixtures
| Gameweek | Opp. | FDR* |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burnley (H) | 2 |
| 2 | Man City (A) | 4 |
| 3 | Bournemouth (H) | 3 |
| 4 | West Ham (A) | 2 |
| 5 | Brighton (A) | 3 |
| 6 | Wolves (H) | 2 |
*1=easiest possible fixture, 5=hardest possible fixture
Unlike Nott’m Forest, Spurs have options at a cost of just £4.5m who can make a big impact in their first campaign under head coach Thomas Frank.
At present, centre-back Micky van de Ven (£4.5m) is the most secure of them, although one of Destiny Udogie or Djed Spence (both £4.5m) is expected to claim the left-back berth.
That’s reflected in the ownerships, too, with Van de Van easily the most-selected of the trio, found in over 17 per cent of squads.
Meanwhile, West Ham United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£4.5m) is the most-owned sub-£5.0m pick, found in more than 31.7 per cent of squads.
His form under Graham Potter last season shows just why. The right wing-back supplied five assists after Potter was appointed head coach in Gameweek 20, more than any other defender in Fantasy.
Wan-Bissaka also has a decent schedule to deliver more points at both ends of the pitch. Indeed, NONE of the Hammers’ first six matches score more than three in the FDR.
West Ham's first six fixtures
| Gameweek | Opp. | FDR* |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunderland (A) | 2 |
| 2 | Chelsea (H) | 3 |
| 3 | Nott'm Forest (A) | 3 |
| 4 | Spurs (H) | 3 |
| 5 | Crystal Palace (H) | 3 |
| 6 | Everton (A) | 3 |
*1=easiest possible fixture, 5=hardest possible fixture
That schedule suggests West Ham’s new left wing-back, El Hadji Malick Diouf (£4.5m), could be a great differential at the same price as Wan-Bissaka. Diouf – who is owned by just a little over two per cent of squads – arrives on the back of seven goals and three assists for Czech Republic side Slavia Prague last season.
Brentford’s Michael Kayode and AFC Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi (both £4.5m) have also been overlooked ahead of their kind early runs of opponents and are both found in under one per cent of squads.
Kayode’s long-throws were a part of Brentford’s set-piece tactics after he joined midway through last season. Senesi, meanwhile, produced four goals and five assists in 2023/24 and is expected to regain his starting role following the departure of Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid.
Finally, Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa (£4.5m) is owned by a hefty 23 per cent for a kind run of opponents that includes contests with promoted pair Sunderland and Burnley in the first seven Gameweeks.
Historically, however, the centre-back has offered very little threat going forward. With just 11 attacking returns over his six seasons at Villa, Konsa's backers may have to solely rely on clean sheets.
So, who are the best budget defenders to own?
Burnley's record in the Championship last season indicates Esteve could be the best £4.0m asset. They kept a record 30 clean sheets and never conceded more than one goal in any match.
Wan-Bissaka's all-round potential and early schedule also looks encouraging for his hefty ownership, while Van de Ven's security of starts marks him out as the safest Spurs asset for the opening of 2025/26.