Last updated: Gameweek 6 · September 29, 2026
Jayden Bogle (Leeds, DEF) leads all defenders in points per 90 in our model at 12.95 InfoSport Points, but only 7.1% of FPL managers own him—a rare disconnect in Sleeper and Fantrax leagues where tackles, clearances and clean sheets drive your score. The real prize this month is identifying which defensive profile suits your roster: clean-sheet anchors like Tarkowski and Branthwaite (Everton), stat-stuffers like Khalaili and Botman who rack up tackles and clearances, or attacking full-backs like De Cuyper and Davis who score from chances created and long-throw goals.
Best Defenders for EPL Fantasy: Rankings
| Rank | Player | Club | Pos | GW6 proj. | Pts/90 | Exp. min | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tarkowski | Everton | DEF | 12.38 | 12.38 | 90 | new |
| 2 | Gvardiol | Man City | DEF | 11.76 | 12.19 | 87 | new |
| 3 | De Cuyper | Brighton | DEF | 11.73 | 12.47 | 85 | new |
| 4 | Davis | Ipswich Town | DEF | 11.03 | 11.03 | 90 | new |
| 5 | Vuskovic | Brighton | DEF | 10.55 | 10.86 | 87 | new |
| 6 | Muharemović | Leeds | DEF | 10.54 | 10.54 | 90 | new |
| 7 | Bogle | Leeds | DEF | 10.5 | 12.95 | 73 | new |
| 8 | Hall | Newcastle | DEF | 10.48 | 10.51 | 90 | new |
| 9 | Guéhi | Man City | DEF | 10.15 | 10.15 | 90 | new |
| 10 | Van Hecke | Spurs | DEF | 9.87 | 9.87 | 90 | new |
| 11 | Egan | Hull City | DEF | 9.68 | 9.96 | 87 | new |
| 12 | Branthwaite | Everton | DEF | 9.66 | 9.66 | 90 | new |
| 13 | Murillo | Nott'm Forest | DEF | 9.1 | 9.12 | 90 | new |
| 14 | Mitchell | Crystal Palace | DEF | 9.04 | 9.71 | 84 | new |
| 15 | Ajayi | Hull City | DEF | 8.93 | 9.5 | 85 | new |
| 16 | Virgil | Liverpool | DEF | 8.88 | 8.88 | 90 | new |
| 17 | Calafiori | Arsenal | DEF | 8.82 | 9.54 | 83 | new |
| 18 | Khalaili | Crystal Palace | DEF | 8.69 | 10.32 | 76 | new |
| 19 | Thomas | Coventry City | DEF | 8.56 | 8.82 | 87 | new |
| 20 | Gabriel | Arsenal | DEF | 8.31 | 8.31 | 90 | new |
| 21 | Justin | Leeds | DEF | 8.3 | 8.3 | 90 | new |
| 22 | Castagne | Fulham | DEF | 8.2 | 9.05 | 82 | new |
| 23 | Ajer | Brentford | DEF | 8.18 | 8.18 | 90 | new |
| 24 | Mykolenko | Everton | DEF | 7.99 | 7.99 | 90 | new |
| 25 | Schuster | Brentford | DEF | 7.88 | 10.51 | 68 | new |
| 26 | Botman | Newcastle | DEF | 7.82 | 7.82 | 90 | new |
| 27 | Giles | Hull City | DEF | 7.65 | 7.75 | 89 | new |
| 28 | Jacquet | Liverpool | DEF | 7.51 | 8.14 | 83 | new |
| 29 | Silva | Bournemouth | DEF | 7.37 | 7.37 | 90 | new |
| 30 | Boscagli | Brighton | DEF | 7.2 | 7.41 | 87 | new |
InfoSport Points model (see our methodology). Pts/90 blends the last five appearances with the full season; ⚠ = availability flag.
Tier 1: the elite
Jayden Bogle (Leeds, DEF)
Bogle leads all 30 defenders in points per 90 at 12.95 InfoSport Points—a full 0.5 points ahead of De Cuyper. His clean-sheet prowess is the driver: Leeds have conceded just 1 goal in 5 matches, placing them 1st of 30 in fewest goals conceded, and Bogle himself has 4 clean sheets this season. At 7.1% FPL ownership, he is invisible in most Sleeper and Fantrax rosters, making him a prime draft target.
James Tarkowski (Everton, DEF)
Tarkowski projects 12.38 InfoSport Points next gameweek and ranks 3rd in points per 90 at 12.38 overall. He is 1st of 30 in projected next gameweek (12.38) and has played 90 minutes in all five matches, with 3 clean sheets and just 3 goals conceded—2nd of 30 in fewest goals conceded. At 16.4% FPL ownership, he remains a cornerstone centre-back in category leagues.
Maxim De Cuyper (Brighton, DEF)
De Cuyper ranks 2nd in points per 90 at 12.47 InfoSport Points and projects 11.73 for next gameweek. The attacking full-back leads all defenders in expected goals at 1.55—3rd of 30 in tackles and clearances—and has scored 1 goal with 3 assists from 84.6 expected minutes. He is 27.7% owned in FPL but remains a floor-and-ceiling play in Sleeper and Fantrax.
Joško Gvardiol (Man City, DEF)
Gvardiol ranks 1st of 30 in expected assists at 0.74 and 4th in points per 90 at 12.19 InfoSport Points. He projects 11.76 for next gameweek and has delivered 1 goal and 3 assists this season from 86.8 expected minutes. At 26.8% FPL ownership, he is the safest attacking defender in the top tier.
Tier 2: reliable starters
Luka Vušković (Brighton, DEF)
Vušković projects 10.55 InfoSport Points and ranks 6th in points per 90 at 10.86. The centre-back ranks 11th of 30 in clearances, blocks and interceptions with 37, and has appeared in all five matches at 87.4 expected minutes with 3 clean sheets—matching Brighton’s defensive tier.
Tarik Muharemović (Leeds, DEF)
Muharemović projects 10.54 InfoSport Points and ranks 2nd of 30 in clearances, blocks and interceptions at 53—a true stat-stuffer who ranks 19th in tackles but delivers volume on the ball-stopping side. He has played 90 minutes in three consecutive matches and faces Arsenal (A), Manchester United (H) and Southampton (A) next.
Lewis Hall (Newcastle, DEF)
Hall projects 10.48 InfoSport Points and ranks 1st of 30 in expected assists at 0.79, though he converted just 1 assist from 0.79 xA. He has played 89.8 expected minutes and scored 7 tackles with 33 clearances, blocks and interceptions—bridging the gap between a clean-sheet defender and an attacking wing-back.
Marc Guéhi (Man City, DEF)
Guéhi projects 10.15 InfoSport Points and ranks 10th in points per 90 at 10.15. The centre-back has 2 clean sheets in 90 minutes played across 5 matches and ranks 5th of 30 in expected goals at 0.95—an attacking centre-back threat from set pieces.
Tier 3: value picks and streamers
Anan Khalaili (Crystal Palace, DEF)
Khalaili projects 8.69 InfoSport Points and ranks 1st of 30 in tackles at 21—far ahead of his peers in defensive action volume. At 0.3% FPL ownership, he is almost completely under the radar in category leagues, offering a ceiling play on a defender with 1 goal and consistent possession-disruption work.
Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton, DEF)
Branthwaite projects 9.66 InfoSport Points from 90 expected minutes and ranks 5th of 30 in clearances, blocks and interceptions with 49. Everton’s second centre-back has 3 clean sheets and has played every minute; at 2.4% FPL ownership, he offers a low-owned clean-sheet pivot in the same defence as Tarkowski.
John Egan (Hull City, DEF)
Egan projects 9.68 InfoSport Points and ranks 4th of 30 in clearances, blocks and interceptions at 50. Hull have conceded just 4 goals in 5 matches (7th of 30 in fewest conceded) and Egan has appeared in all five at 87.4 expected minutes with 3 clean sheets at only 7.0% FPL ownership.
Jeremy Jacquet (Liverpool, DEF)
Jacquet projects 7.51 InfoSport Points from 83 expected minutes and ranks 6th of 30 in tackles at 11. At 3.5% FPL ownership, he is a Liverpool squad option who has appeared in all five matches with 3 clean sheets and 25 clearances, blocks and interceptions—ideal for tournament builds needing a second Reds defender.
Kristoffer Ajer (Brentford, DEF)
Ajer projects 8.18 InfoSport Points and ranks 7th of 30 in clearances, blocks and interceptions with 46. Brentford have conceded 4 goals in 5 matches (7th of 30) and Ajer has 2 clean sheets from 90 minutes played; at 3.9% FPL ownership, he is a value clean-sheet defender in a solid defence.
Trending up and down this month
Risers: Bogle has scored 19.7, 19.39 and 5.78 InfoSport Points in his last three matches (GW 3–5), riding Leeds’ defensive strength and clean-sheet streaks into elite status. Hall scored 9.09, 3.13 and 17.81 over the same window, showing inconsistent form but a strong GW 5 spike from 17.81 InfoSport Points that signals returning volume.
Fallers: Guéhi has posted 10.6, 9.5 and 7.79 InfoSport Points in his last three, a steady decline that reflects Man City’s increasing goals conceded despite their strong defence. N. Williams (Nott’m Forest) scored 9.35, 4.6 and 3.91 over GW 3–5, losing clean-sheet percentage and tackle volume in a forest defence allowing more chances.
How to draft and manage defenders
- Separate clean-sheet anchors (Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Egan) from stat-stuffers (Khalaili, Muharemović, Botman). Clean-sheet defenders floor at 5 InfoSport Points; stat-stuffers floor at 3–5 but ceiling above 15 when tackles and clearances spike. Your league size and roster depth dictate which profile to prioritize early.
- Attacking full-backs (De Cuyper, Gvardiol, Hall, Davis) are Sleeper and Fantrax staples because expected assists and xG add 4–5 points per 90 in our model—far more than FPL’s 1 point per clean sheet. Target them by position scarcity, not by FPL ownership.
- Expected minutes matter more in category leagues than in FPL because a 60-minute appearance floors at 0.5 InfoSport Points regardless of performance. Bogle and Tarkowski are 90-minute locks; Hall (89.8), Muharemović and Vušković (87.4) offer high floors from proven gametime.
- Stream defensive depth from low-owned, high-volume players (Branthwaite at 2.4%, Khalaili at 0.3%) to gain ceiling without sacrificing floor. Paired with an elite anchor, they allow you to allocate mid-round picks to midfielders and forwards.
Frequently asked questions
Should I draft an attacking full-back early or wait for a centre-back?
Draft both tiers early. De Cuyper (12.47 PPG), Gvardiol (12.19) and Bogle (12.95) all rank top-6 in points per 90 and are not luxury plays. Pair one of them with a clean-sheet centre-back like Tarkowski (12.38) or Branthwaite (9.66) to cover both volume sources. In a 12-team league, securing a top-4 defender and a top-10 full-back gives you a ceiling edge most rosters miss.
Is Khalaili worth drafting at his tackle volume (21), or is he too risky without clean sheets?
Khalaili is a ceiling play, not a floor. He ranks 1st of 30 in tackles but 23rd in clean sheets (1 in 5 matches) and projects just 8.69 InfoSport Points. In a shallow league (8–10 teams), he is a tournament or late-round streamer. In a 12+ team league, he is a bench differentiation at 0.3% FPL ownership who can explode to 12+ points when Crystal Palace cleans sheet.
Which defender has the safest floor for a Sleeper or Fantrax league?
Tarkowski (90 min/gw, 3 clean sheets, 11 tackles, 40 clearances) or Bogle (4 clean sheets, 12.95 PPG). Both are 90-minute anchors in defences ranked 1st–2nd in fewest goals conceded. In our model, they floor at 8–10 InfoSport Points in most weeks and rarely drop below 5. Hall and De Cuyper add ceiling but floor lower (6–8) because xA and xG convert irregularly.
Bottom line
Bogle and Tarkowski are your elite targets, but the real draft edge lies in separating your defender types: anchor one clean-sheet defender to a reliable team, pair him with an attacking full-back for ceiling, and stream low-owned stat-stuffers (Khalaili, Branthwaite, Jacquet) as your third and fourth options. Check our EPL fixture difficulty rankings before locking in your pick, and remember that in Sleeper and Fantrax, tackles and clearances matter as much as clean sheets. For a full view of all EPL positions, see our complete EPL fantasy rankings.