Here’s my view for GW18 on the fantasy premier league best defenders and defences. I’ve used a number of stats, actual and underlying. I’ve kept with the blended home and away version rather than splitting them out. I’ve also added the premium attacking defender and the value defender and also given you the value of the player as at Wednesday.
Fantasy premier league best defenders and defences GW18
I’ve provided the information in a very simple table form with a few general notes on the table and an attempted explanation for any surprises. I’ve tried to sacrifice some value and attacking where there isn’t a decent amount of gametime security. Obviously in the top 4 challenging teams the squad sizes and the number of games sees that rotation can be a risk so it’s impossible to be 100% especially around Xmas. I’ve also added my fixture ease ranking as a proxy for defensive fixtures although it is intended as an attacking fixture check. The first number is the ranking ease of the next 6 fixtures and the 2nd number is the next 3. It’s also important read the notes on each club below as they include the clean sheets in the last 6 games. The stats are over the season so in the narrative I’ve tried to deal with recent form and injury issues which will help you make an adjustment on the overall ranking
| Team | Value Def | Attacking def | fixt ease | |
| 1 | Arsenal | Mertesack £5.3m | Bellerin £5.9m | 7/3 |
| 2 | Man Utd | None | Smalling £6.8m | 9/8 |
| 3 | Tottenham | Walker £5.1m | Alderweir £5.9m | 2/7 |
| 4 | Man City | None | Otamendi £6.5m | 3/5 |
| 5 | Watford | Nyom £4.7m | None | 19/19 |
| 6 | Liverpool | Moreno £5.0m | Moreno £5.0m | 5/2 |
| 7 | Southampton | Cedric £4.9m | Van Dijk £5.5m | 15/19 |
| 8 | C Palace | Souare £4.5m | Dann £5.5m | 10/4 |
| 9 | Stoke | Wollscheid £4.5m | Shawcross£4.8m | 12/17 |
| 10 | WBA | Evans £4.8m | Dawson £5.1m | 6/6 |
| 11 | Leicester | Simpson £4.1m | None | 16/14 |
| 12 | Chelsea | Zouma £5.5m | None | 20/15 |
| 13 | Swansea | Williams £4.8m | None | 11/20 |
| 14 | Everton | Stones £5.5m | Baines £6.1m | 14/10 |
| 15 | West Ham | Tomkins£5.0m | Creswell £6.1m | 8/12 |
| 16 | A Villa | Hutton £4.2m | None | 1/1 |
| 17 | Bournemouth | Francis £4.3m | Francis £4.3m | 4/11 |
| 18 | Newcastle | Coloccini£4.5m | Janmaat £4.9m | 18/18 |
| 19 | Sunderland | O’Shea£4.3m | Van Aanholt £4.6m | 17/16 |
| 20 | Norwich (Bassong £4.3m) 13/13 | |||
Notes
Arsenal – Coquelin injured has been theorised a reason for potential defensive failure. Its 1 clean sheets in the 4 games without Coquelin and 1 in the last 6 dont dismiss the theory.
Man Utd – It’s impossible to overstate what a dissapointing defensive performance it was against Norwich and injuries and loss of form seems to have drained all defensive resolve. 2 clean sheets in the last 6.
Man City – Another false Kompany dawn as he remains on the sidelines. With him 7 from 8 games have seen clean sheets. 10 games without him have seen none and they’ve conceded 4 goals twice. 1 clean sheets in the last 6
Liverpool – With Lovren and Skrtel injured its a possible defence of Sakho and Toure holding the fort. Which is a pretty scary prospect for anyone holding Liverpool defensive assets. The Watford capitualtion was nothing short of pathetic. 1 clean sheet in the last 6 is poor as it is.
Spurs – 2 clean sheets in the last 6 as away to Southampton finally got a clean sheet reward
Watford – probably the best £4.5m ish defence. Nothing much to choose between them. 3 consecutive clean sheets and 3 in the last 6 is very impressive.
Southampton – Last years and the early season defensive resolve seems to have fallen away. 1 clean sheets in the last 6.
C Palace – GKs Hennessey and McCarthy are a great cheap double up. 1 clean sheets in the last 6
Stoke – Down to earth again with the 2-1 loss to Palace. £4.8m Shawcross is the best pick with GK £5.0m Butland. Wollscheid is the cheapie at £4.5m and has started the last 11. Incredibly 4 clean sheets in the last 6.
WBA – A performance with no discipline and 2 sendings off against Bournemouth. The test for £4.3m Olsson will come when Yacob is back which will be in the next gameweek or 2. 0 clean sheets in the last 6 but fixtures were tough
Leicester – Not a strong defensive team but Simpson is probably the most £4.0m ish defender. 2 clean sheets in the last 6
Everton – Seem to have lost all defensive resolve. 1 clean sheet in the last 6.
Chelsea – How they will react to Hiddink should be interesting. 2 clean sheets in the last 6.
Swansea – Finally a clean sheet. 1 clean sheetsin the last 6
A Villa – Have looked defensively poor and Richards injured doesn’t help. 1 clean sheet 1 in the last 6.
West Ham – 3 consecutive clean sheets as Bilic looks to batten down the hatches after so many attacking injuries. 3 clean sheets in the last 6
Bournemouth – £4.0m cheapie Smith has had some gametime and started the last 3. Captain and CB Elphick will be back in a few weeks which could see Francis move to RB and Smith ousted. 1 clean sheet in the last 6
Newcastle – GK Elliot offers a £4.0m GK option. LB Dummett at £4.3m also offers some savings having started the last 9. 2 clean sheets in the last 6.
Sunderland – They looked terrible in the 3-1- loss to Chelsea. 2 clean sheets in the last 6. PVA is a great attacking LWB but needs monitoring for security and is of limited use if the defence reverts to terrible.
Norwich – 1 clean sheet in the last 6 although there has been a much more defensive attitude which has stopped the mass leaking of goals. £3.9m GK Rudd started his 3rd consecutive game
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