If you haven't tried Fantasy Premier League Draft, now is the ideal time to take on a new challenge over the remaining 34 Gameweeks and The Scout has some tips to guide you.
If your Draft league has eight teams or so The Scout looks at strategies when selecting defenders.
Defenders in eight-team leagues
Managers in eight-team Draft leagues often have to look beyond the obvious targets when considering their selections.
The competition for acquiring players is far greater than in four-team leagues, for example.
As five defenders are required for every 15-man squad, a four-team league will have just 20 defenders. But an eight-team league has 40.
Given that only one manager in Draft can own any player in the league, getting the jump on rivals is vital when pinpointing those in form.
The table at the bottom shows the shifts in popularity for defenders in eight-team leagues.
Palace pair popular
Aaron-Wan Bissaka has been one of the biggest attractions for FPL Draft managers since the season started.
The Crystal Palace right-back was overlooked entirely in early eight-man Draft squads. But a 12-point return at Fulham in Gameweek 1 changed all that.
Wan-Bissaka now sits in an average of 50 of the latest 125 FPL Draft squads to play in Gameweek 4.
That reflects his ownership levels in Fantasy Premier League, where he is owned by 22.4 per cent, partly due to his cost of low £4.1m.
Yet even without budgets to consider in Draft, the teenager has been a hugely popular pick.
Wan-Bissaka's team-mate Jeffrey Schlupp sits in 70 of the 125 squads, up from 36.
He has profited from a role on the left of Palace’s midfield, scoring in the 2-0 win at Fulham.
Big targets
Steve Cook and Ricardo Pereira have also been big targets.
They are both owned by 106 out of 125 squads, up from 63 and 76 respectively.
AFC Bournemouth’s Cook has a goal, an assist and one clean sheet. Pereira has two assists and a clean sheet for Leicester City.
Elsewhere, changes in defence from three of last season’s top five clubs have made an impression.
Luke Shaw, David Luiz and Joe Gomez have each started the first four Gameweeks to rise in ownership across the recent leagues.
Top 15 risers in teams selected by (TSB)
| Player | Team | GW1 TSB | GW4 TSB | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wan-Bissaka | CRY | 0 | 50 | +50 |
| S Cook | BOU | 63 | 106 | +43 |
| Schlupp | CRY | 36 | 70 | +34 |
| Holebas | WAT | 75 | 108 | +33 |
| Ake | BOU | 67 | 98 | +31 |
| Bertrand | SOU | 43 | 74 | +31 |
| Pereira | LEI | 76 | 106 | +30 |
| Janmaat | WAT | 14 | 43 | +29 |
| Chilwell | LEI | 13 | 40 | +27 |
| Keane | EVE | 20 | 46 | +26 |
| Bamba | CAR | 4 | 28 | +24 |
| Gomez | LIV | 93 | 116 | +23 |
| Luiz | CHE | 22 | 105 | +83 |
| Shaw | MUN | 17 | 111 | +94 |
| Tarkowski | BUR | 89 | 101 | +12 |
*eight-team leagues
Also in this series
Part 1: FPL Draft: Defenders rising in managers' plans
Part 2: FPL Draft: Laporte a big deal thanks to free trade
Part 4: FPL Draft: Leicester pair making waves
Part 5: FPL Draft: No limits put Milner in the frame
Part 6: FPL Draft: Mitrovic goals spark scramble
Part 7: FPL Draft: Gracia tactics aid managers
