07 Jan, 2025

FPL’s Best Super Budget Defenders ( Under £4.4m)

With Haaland seemingly returning to form, its belt tightening time for those looking to bring him in. Luckily we’ve got you covered with FPL’s best Super Budget Defenders £4.3m and under. Don’t miss out.

FPL’s Best Super Budget Defenders ( Under £4.4m)

With many people now considering bringing Haaland back into their line-ups, the need for saving cash elsewhere has never been higher, and with that, we bring you the Super Budget Defenders.

Defence is one spot where there are plenty of gems available for £4.3m or under, so if you need to make some cutbacks, it’s a good place to start.

Naturally we will avoid the promoted teams and Wolves defenders who are leaking goals for fun at the moment, and ensure we are only bringing you quality options (Yes there’s enough).

 

  • Remember to check out the Transfer Wizard for more great options at other price points!
  • Also make sure to check out the FPL Player Rankings series for other FPL Rankings!

 

7. Sepp Van Den Berg – £4.1m – BRE

xGC per 90: 1.71

xGI per 90: 0.07

Ownership: 2.4%

 

The OG £4m defender (for a decent team) for those looking to forget about Barco-gate.

Since the Dutchman’s move to Liverpool, he has been a mainstay in the Brentford defence.

However, those who brought him in (Me) have been sufficiently let down, as Brentford’s all out attacking style has seen them concede the 5th most goals in the league and register a measly 3 clean sheets all year. 1 of which Van Den Berg did not even feature in.

All things considered he is very cheap and dependable minutes wise, even chipping in with an assist against Southampton. But with Brentford’s leaky defence and upcoming fixtures we would give him a miss.

 

 

6. James Hill – £3.9m – BOU

xGC per 90: 1.27 (2 Games)

xGI per 90: 0.12 (2 Games)

Ownership: 0.7%

 

Shout out to FPL Skyline for this one. James Hill has started Bournemouth’s last 2 games since Adam Smith’s injury back in December, taking over from Max Aarons who is the subject of January Transfer rumours.

Iraola expects Adams to be out for ‘some time’, meaning the window for Hill to make an impression and secure the Right-Back spot, at least for the short to mid-term, is wide open.

The main attractions of Hill are the attacking upside that he carries as a fullback, the £3.9m price tag and the team he plays for. The main concerns arise from his minutes and Bournemouth’s fixtures.

It is worth mentioning however that Bournemouth seem to have an even better clean sheet record against bigger teams than they do against the bottom half so who knows. Either way, Hill presents an intriguing high-risk high-reward strategy at a bargain price of just £3.9m.

 

 

5. Lewis Dunk – £4.3m – BRI

xGC per 90: 1.55

xGI per 90: 0.09

Ownership: 3.5%

 

Dunk’s price drop to £4.3m means he now finds himself on the Super Budget list. As nailed for minutes as it gets and playing for one of the league’s better teams, in theory there is not much to dislike.

However, Brighton have hardly been defensively solid this season sitting mid table for xGA and registering only 4 clean sheets this year, including 1 in their last 11. Brighton’s current clean sheet rate is 1/5 this year as opposed to last seasons rate of around 1/3.

He has also not been the attacking threat he was last season where he registered an xGI per 90 of 0.17 with 3 goals. For those looking for a reliable option on a decent team with proven FPL pedigree, Dunk is a good option. Their upcoming fixtures aren’t too bad either, check the rest of them out using our Opta Match Centre.

 

 

4. Vitaly Mykolenko – £4.3m – EVE

xGC per 90: 1.33

xGI per 90: 0.06

Ownership: 5.8%

 

Mykolenko is another notorious FPL defender this year. He also seems to have remained on £4.3m for what seems like forever.

A mainstay in Everton’s defence and as nailed as it gets, Mykolenko has quietly ticked along at a steady rate. With 5 clean sheets in their last 9, including Arsenal, Chelsea and Brentford, Everton’s defence appears to be back on track.

Everton’s upcoming fixtures are not awful but also not great, but they have shown that regardless of opposition, a clean sheet is always possible. Consider Mykolenko a reliable option with small occasional upside moving forward.

 

 

3. Tosin Adarabioyo – £4.2m – CHE

xGC per 90: 1.55

xGI per 90: 0.05

Ownership 0.3%

 

Injuries to Badiashile and Fofana have created a vacancy at the CB spot for the Blues. Tosin appears the current favourite given he’s strung together 4 starts in their last 5. Ceding only the most recent game to academy graduate Josh Acheampong, a natural Right Back.

Despite being leaky of late, Chelsea still ranks in the top 8 for xGA, and their great fixtures mean there could be some clean sheets due soon. Although Tosin definitely presents a minute’s risk, he seems to be favoured over Disasi and Acheampong.

All things considered, £4.2m is also not too shabby for a route into the Chelsea defence, even with a small risk.

 

 

2. Timothy Castagne – £4.2m – FUL

xGC per 90: 1.41

xGI per 90: 0.06

Ownership: 1.8%

 

With Tete likely sidelined for months, Castagne appears nailed to start for Fulham for the foreseeable future.

Fulham quietly have an excellent defence, ranking 4th in the league for xGA.

Despite boasting a lower-than-expected xGI per 90 of 0.06, it is worth noting that the sample size is small, and he has already registered an assist. He is not afraid to get forward and frequently occupies very advanced positions in possession.

Playing for a great defence with good fixtures, nailed minutes, attacking potential and a great price, Castagne is everything you need in a Super-Budget defender.

 

 

1. Neco Williams – £4.3m – NFO

xGC per 90: 0.97

xGI per 90: 0.13

Ownership: 1.2%

 

I’m going to need a good reason why no one is talking about Neco Williams as one of the best super budget defenders.

He has now strung together 6 starts in a row, 5 being full 90s, and appears to have beat out Moreno to the starting Left-Back spot. Any Forest defender would have been an excellent choice this year, as evidenced by Aina being the highest scoring in the entire league. So why his teammate on the opposite side whose £1m cheaper is not is beyond me.

Forest currently sit 3rd in the league for xGA and have kept 4 clean sheets in a row during their 6 win streak.

We have seen in the past how well Neco Williams can get forward and the Forest attack also seems to be purring now as well. Scoring 2+ in 5 out of their last 6 wins.

With an ownership % of only 1.2%, Neco is currently FPL’s best kept secret.

 

Remember to keep an eye on our Game Week Tips section for all Game Week 21 advice!

Thanks for reading!

 

By: George Lean

Last Updated: 07/01