FPL Budget Picks: The Best DEF Under £5.0
The call — Budget defenders: who's actually worth £5.0m or less? Sixty-three defenders qualify at £5.0m and under, and most of them will cost you points one way or another — bench appearances, rotation, or a back line that leaks. Our model has sorted through them, and the answer at the top is about as unglamorous as it gets: Harry Maguire.
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One squad, picked before a ball was kicked and run for six gameweeks on three transfers — no hits taken. Scored on FPL’s own results.
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He's £5.0m, he starts every week, and our projections have him good for around 20 points over the next six — call it a steady 3-4 most weeks with the odd clean sheet or headed goal on top. The fixtures are middling, starting at Hull, but middling with guaranteed minutes beats lovely with a substitution on 60. About 2 in 10 managers already have him, so no bragging rights, just points.
The rest of the shortlist, quickly:
Van Hecke (TOT, £5.0m) — projects level with Maguire, nailed, but the fixtures are rough, starting at Brentford. Owned by 1 in 10. De Cuyper (BHA, £4.6m) — the value pick. Starts, favourable run beginning with Villa at home, hardly owned at about half a manager in 10... fine, 6 in 100. Cheapest route to real points here. Hall (NEW, £5.0m) — starts, average fixtures, but Liverpool at home first is not a gentle opener. Shaw (MUN, £4.5m) — the most-owned name on the list at 2 in 10, starts, decent enough, just projects a rung below his teammate. N.Williams and Aina (NFO) — both start, both stuck in a tough Forest run. Kayode (BRE, £4.5m) — starts, tough fixtures, Spurs first. Mitchell (CRY, £4.5m) — starts, but a very tough run. Pass. Dunk (BHA, £4.5m) — quietly projects almost as well as Maguire with Brighton's kind fixtures, owned by barely 1 in 100.
A word on the Newcastle pair, Thiaw and Botman — the raw projections look tasty, but our model ranks them down the list for a reason, and Liverpool at home first up is exactly the sort of week that reason shows itself. Don't get clever.
The call: Maguire is the pick — boring, nailed, never blanks for minutes. If £5.0m is a stretch or you want Brighton's fixtures, De Cuyper at £4.6m is the best alternative and the best value in the bracket. Buy one of those two and stop scrolling.