The Scout's watchlist of defenders for 2017/18 Fantasy Premier League continues.
Lewis Dunk (Brighton) £4.5m
Brighton & Hove Albion’s Lewis Dunk (£4.5m) can play a major role in our FPL seasons.
The centre-back helped the Seagulls to the most clean sheets in the Championship last term (21).
Bonus point potential
Dunk’s defensive contribution will boost his prospects in the Bonus Points System (BPS).
He produced a total of 481 clearances, blocks and interceptions (CBI) last term, averaging one every 7.78 minutes.
This looks strong when compared with AFC Bournemouth’s Steve Cook (£5.0m).
The Cherries defender led the Premier League for CBIs (467), supplying one every 7.32 minutes.
Headed threat
At 6ft 3in, Dunk’s power in the air can profit FPL managers.
He won 188 headers last season. This was more than Michael Keane (£5.5m), whose total of 149 for Burnley was top for FPL defenders.
Dunk registered two goals (both headers) and an assist. He produced 38 efforts on goal in 2016/17.
A total of 26 headed shots highlights his threat from set-pieces.
But he has been overlooked by FPL managers and sits in only 3.6% of squads.
Home comforts
A kind opening run of home matches looks promising for early clean sheets.
Seven of Brighton’s first 10 home encounters score no more than two in the Fixture Difficulty Rankings (FDR).
Having claimed 12 of their 21 shutouts at home last season, FPL managers should look for a defender to alternate with Dunk when he is faced with a testing away fixture.
Huddersfield Town’s Tommy Smith (£5.0m) could offer an effective solution.
He can be swapped with Dunk each Gameweek to offer 38 successive home matches across the entire season.
Brighton's opening home fixtures
| GW | Opponent | FDR (1 = Low 5 = High) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City | 4 |
| 4 | West Brom | 2 |
| 6 | Newcastle | 2 |
| 8 | Everton | 3 |
| 10 | Southampton | 2 |
| 12 | Stoke City | 2 |