Nuno Mendes, Virgil van Dijk, Nicolás Otamendi and Denzel Dumfries are among the standout defender options available to Fantasy managers.
PREMIUM OPTIONS
Of the three highest points scorers in Fantasy last season, two were defenders. Full-backs Achraf Hakimi (€6.0m) and Nuno Mendes (€6.0m) recorded 233 points and 15 goal involvements between them on their way to the UEFA Champions League title with Paris Saint-Germain, both surpassing the 100-point mark. Expect both to be in high demand this season.
There are a number of premium defenders available from Premier League clubs, many of whom offer a high upside. Both Arsenal's Gabriel (€5.5m) and Virgil van Dijk (€6.0m) of Liverpool offer an attacking threat from set pieces, while Van Dijk's new team-mate Jeremie Frimpong (€5.5m) is well known for his ability to roam forward from full-back. Frimpong registered five assists in last season's competition for Bayer Leverkusen, but caution is advised for Fantasy managers given that the Dutchman is currently sidelined by a hamstring injury.
Frimpong's former team-mate Alejandro Grimaldo (€6.0m) has also established himself as a proven Fantasy performer at Benfica and now Leverkusen. Both he and Inter's Denzel Dumfries (€6.0m) are tempting premium picks for Fantasy bosses looking for offensive full-backs. Another Inter defender worthy of attention is Alessandro Bastoni (€5.5m), who excels in ball recoveries; both Nerazzurri players have scored in Serie A already this season.
MID-PRICED OPTIONS
Those looking for mid-priced Paris cover may be eying up Willian Pacho (€5.0m) following his 93 Fantasy points in 2024/25. No player registered more ball recoveries than the Ecuadorian's 124, while fellow mid-priced team-mate Marquinhos (€5.0m) accumulated 109 ball recoveries and 84 Fantasy points last season.
Centre-back Nicolás Otamendi (€5.0m) continues to show his ability to gain Fantasy points through multiple avenues, helping Benfica to four clean sheets from four matches in this season's qualifying rounds. Another popular mid-priced defender could be Jurriën Timber (€5.0m), the Arsenal full-back having recently scored twice in a Premier League match against Leeds.
Manuel Akanji (€5.0m) offers a cheaper Fantasy alternative to new Inter team-mates Dumfries and Bastoni, while Bayern München centre-back Dayot Upamecano (€5.0m) earned 61 points last season including 22 from ball recoveries alone.
BUDGET OPTIONS
Inter kept a clean sheet in all seven league phase games in which Benjamin Pavard (€4.5m) featured last season and the versatile Frenchman could prove a shrewd Fantasy pick following his loan move to Marseille. Atalanta's Isak Hien (€4.5m) also drew significant Fantasy attention last season, playing over 700 minutes and accumulating 55 points, including four clean sheets and 73 ball recoveries.
Waldemar Anton (€4.0m) has already got on the scoresheet for Dortmund this season in the Bundesliga and Juan Jesus (€4.0m) has started twice in defence for Italian champions Napoli, who are yet to concede a Serie A goal. Mauro Júnior (€4.0m) is known for his attacking qualities at PSV Eindhoven, while Illia Zabarnyi (€4.0m) will compete with Marquinhos and Pacho for a place in central defence at Paris.
--This news comes from UEFA.com and is NOT for commercial purposes
