FPL Budget Picks: The Best DEF Under £6.5
The call — The best-value defender in the game right now costs £4.9m and our model has him down for the best part of 44 points over the next six weeks. That's Maxim De Cuyper, and nothing else in the budget bracket comes close.
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Brighton's left-back is proven, the fixtures are about as kind as they get, and it starts at Sunderland this week. Only about 2-3 in 10 managers own him, which for numbers like that is frankly baffling. At this price you normally accept 25-30 points over six and say thank you. He's clearing that by a distance.
Here's the rest of the bracket, one line each, in our order of preference:
Gvardiol (MCI, £5.7m) — proven, lovely fixtures once he's past Liverpool away this week; owned by roughly 2-3 in 10.
Calafiori (ARS, £5.8m) — half the game owns him and Leeds at home is fine, but our numbers have him behind cheaper options over six. Hold if you've got him; don't buy.
Hall (NEW, £5.3m) — quietly excellent value, favourable run starting at Coventry, only 1-2 in 10 own him.
Guéhi (MCI, £6.0m) — proven and the run is kind, but he costs more than Gvardiol in the same defence. Buy the cheaper one.
Tarkowski (EVE, £6.1m) — reliable as ever, decent fixtures, but £6.1m for a solid-not-spectacular return is money you could spend elsewhere.
Muharemović (LEE, £5.0m) and Bogle (LEE, £4.6m) — lovely fixtures after Arsenal away, but Muharemović hasn't proven his minutes yet. Bogle has, and at £4.6m he's a proper bench-slot candidate.
Van Hecke (TOT, £4.9m) — proven, favourable run, barely owned. Fine third pick.
Bobby Thomas (COV, £4.0m) — the cheapest interesting name here, kind fixtures, but the starts aren't nailed. Watch, don't buy yet.
Davis (IPS, £4.0m) — tough fixtures. No.
Vuskovic (BHA, £5.0m) — decent numbers, but why pay a penny more for the unproven Brighton defender when the proven one costs £4.9m?
The call: buy De Cuyper. He's the rare budget defender who plays every week, sits behind a kind fixture list, and out-projects players a pound dearer. Best alternative if you're already full on Brighton: Gvardiol, once City are done at Anfield. Everything else is filler.