Hitting the right budget defenders in FPL 2025/26 frees up money for the Salah/Haaland combo without breaking the structure. New this year is Defensive Contribution (DC): 2 extra points for 10 total clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles. It especially boosts workhorses in the middle of the field and individual backs who rack up lots of defensive actions.
What you need to know before you choose
- Up-and-comers = value: Burnley, Leeds and Sunderland provide more 4.0 starters than usual.
- New roles/managers: Thomas Frank at Spurs can push defensive numbers in a positive direction.
FPL 4.0 million defense players
| Spiller | Club | Price | Position | Status / Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maxime Estève | BUR | 4.0 million. | Centerback | Expected starter, strong DC base. Very popular among the promoted. |
| Reinildo | SUN | 4.0 million. | Left back | Experienced, fresh in, ready for game time. |
| Jenson Seelt | SUN | 4.0 million. | Centerback | Nice DC ceiling; mentioned as 4.0 alternative. |
| Gabriel Gudmundsson | LEE | 4.0 million. | Left back | Offensive profile; good 2-pointer when he starts. |
| Joe Rodon / Jaka Bijol | LEE | 4.0 million. | Centerback | Both can get many minutes; Bijol new and can rotate. |
| Ayden Heaven | MUN | 4.0 million. | Centerback | Cheap United-CB; minutes depend on system/injuries. |
| Luka Vušković | TOT | 4.0 million. | Centerback | Great upside in the long run; hardly starts from GW1. |
Short recommendation: Estève + one Sunderland (Reinildo or Seelt) is the safest bench base. Gudmundsson is your “hope to start” ticket.
FPL 4.5 million defense players
| Spiller | Club | Price | Position | Status / Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Wan-Bissaka | WHU | 4.5 million. | Wingback | Firm, nice DC volume and ok start program. |
| Joachim Andersen | FUL | 4.5 million. | Centerback | Stable CB with dead ball threat; clear starter. |
| Ezri Konsa | AVL | 4.5 million. | Centerback | Safe playtime; low ceiling, high floor. |
| Micky van de Ven | TOT | 4.5 million. | Centerback | Fast profile, fits the system; attractive price. |
| Marcos Senesi | BOU | 4.5 million. | Centerback | DC-heavy and little goal threat. |
| Sepp van den Berg | BRE | 4.5 million. | Centerback | Strong candidate to start; monitor pre-season. |
| Michael Kayode | BRE | 4.5 million. | Right back | Minutes is coming, but the competition is real. |
| Marc Guéhi | CRY | 4.5 million. | Centerback | Solid package solution; limited offensive output. |
| Patrick Dorgu | MUN | 4.5 million. | Left back | Exciting LB; minutes are continuously assessed. |
| Maxim De Cuyper | BHA | 4.5 million. | Left back | Offensive LB; great value if he cements the starting spot. |
| Emmanuel Agbadou | WOL | 4.5 million. | Centerback | Physically strong; await defensive structure. |
Short recommendation: Wan-Bissaka and Andersen = set-and-forget value. Van de Ven/De Cuyper provides upside at the same price.
FPL 5.0 million defense players
| Spiller | Club | Price | Position | Status / Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitaliy Mykolenko | EVE | 5.0 million. | Left back | Stable in organized defense; good DC base. |
| Jake O’Brien | EVE | 5.0 million. | Centerback | Cheap way into the same structure; minutes look promising. |
| Ola Aina / Neco Williams | NFO | 5.0 million. | Wingbacks | Aina a little safer; Williams more offensive. |
| Levi Colwill | HEC | 5.0 million. | Centerback | Cheap Chelsea entry; keep an eye out for game time. |
| Maxence Lacroix | CRY | 5.0 million. | Centerback | New CB anchor with fine underlying numbers and DC profile. |
| Nathan Collins | BRE | 5.0 million. | Centerback | Starter and set-piece threat; however, the defense fluctuates. |
Short recommendation: Mykolenko is plug-in. Aina/Williams and Lacroix are strong if you’re chasing DC points.
FPL 5.5 million defense players
| Spiller | Club | Price | Position | Status / Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikola Milenković | NFO | 5.5 million. | Centerback | DC magnet and goal threat; strong partnership with Murillo. |
| Murillo | NFO | 5.5 million. | Centerback | Very high DC rate; one of the safer mid-price picks. |
| James Tarkowski | EVE | 5.5 million. | Centerback | Bonus/CBI monster; nice starting floor. |
| Pedro Porro | TOT | 5.5 million. | Wingback | Huge offensive upside and set pieces; little rotation risk. |
| Virgil van Dijk | LIV | 6.0 million. | Centerback | Great DC and dead ball threat; premium light. |
| Joško Gvardiol | MCI | 6.0 million. | LB/CB | Stuck in the City, stable base. |
Short recommendation: Milenković/Murillo and Tarkowski = high floor. Porro/van Dijk/Gvardiol = high ceiling in top clubs.
Quick building block strategy
- Bench: 2× 4.0 million (e.g. Estève + a Sunderland), so you maximize the budget.
- Start: 2-3× 4.5/5.0m with DC floor (Wan-Bissaka, De Cuyper, Mykolenko/Lacroix).
- One “anchor”: A 5.5-6.0m with a high base (Tarkowski/van Dijk). This gives you the flexibility to jump on a strong wingback.
Budget shelves are better than usual this year, and DC points are pushing more center backs into the playable category. Prioritize safe starters for clean sheets/DC base and sprinkle one offensive back for ceiling. Follow pre-season minutes closely (especially De Cuyper, Dorgu and Kayode) and re-evaluate when we see the first DC distributors in GW1-2.
