The 2026/27 campaign is just around the corner for the English Premier League, putting one of the greatest competitions in the world back at center stage. The opening fixture kicks the season off on August 21, which means the clock is ticking before Fantasy Premier League lineups lock for the first time.
In this series, we’re taking a look at some of the top picks at each position for FPL this season. Here’s a breakdown of some of the top defensemen you’re going to want in your FPL squads heading into Gameweek 1.
Best Fantasy Premier League defender picks
Gabriel Magalhaes, Arsenal (£8.0m)
He may be the priciest defenseman in the game, but make no mistake, Gabriel is worth the bankroll. Last season, he paced all defenders with a grand total of 209 points, the third-highest output of any player at the position in FPL history. Moreover, his 6.5 PTS/GM also led the way among all backfield players. Now, higher scoring was certainly expected from the defense position across the board thanks to the introduction of DEFCON, intended to even the playing field somewhat in comparison to attackers. However, Gabriel’s points came from so much more than farming those. He racked up 18 clean sheets with a title-winning Arsenal side and scored three goals with five assists, the latter of which represented a new career-high mark. There are some injuries in the Gunners’ lineup to start the season, but even then, they’re sure to be pretty dominant once again. Yet, Gabriel’s rostership sits at just 27.4% – first among defenders, but also a little bit low if you ask me.
If I had to make the case for going with the pack here, it’s that he’ll remain highly involved once more and could provide similar returns to attacking premiums if he can come close to replicating last year’s success. Again, he averaged 6.5 PTS/GM in 2025-26, while Bruno Fernandes posted 6.7 and Erling Haaland averaged 6.8. Both of those attackers are significantly more expensive at £12.0m and £15.5m, meaning Gabriel contributes 0.81 PPG per million pounds in comparison to the 0.56 and 0.44 of those two other premium talents. He’s essential, even at this high price for a defender.
Josko Gvardiol, Manchester City (£5.5m)
Last year was underwhelming for Josko Gvardiol with only 16 starts and 1,370 minutes played after dealing with an injury. On a per-game basis, though, he was the 11th-best defender in FPL with 4.4 PTS/GM. I understand there are plenty of questions – the departure of Pep Guardiola leaves new uncertainly around Manchester City for the first time in ages, and there’s plenty of talent that will also vie for heavy minutes this season. However, the signs are intriguing for Gvardiol. New manager Enzo Maresca reportedly spoke highly of the Croation earlier this offseason and considers him one of the squad’s central pillars under the boss. That news came as the defenseman inked a new five-year contract to remain at City, so the club backed those thoughts with cash as well. We know that Gvardiol is a significant goal threat and can play up a little on the wings, and the club’s defense should remain quite formidable this season.
He’s a full £1m cheaper than teammate Nico O’Reilly and £0.5 cheaper than Marc Guehi, so Gvardiol looks like an excellent way to have your cake and eat it, too – save a little money and still deploy a central piece of this City defense.
Harry Maguire, Manchester United (£5.0m)
There’s a real case for a Harry Maguire resurgence this season, at least for FPL purposes. He’s played far fewer minutes in the last few years for various reasons, but if he’s close to a nailed pick in the early going, he could certainly pay off. His 3.9 PTS/GM last year ranked 24th among all defenders, so even the troubles of Ruben Amorim before his sacking didn’t wear down Maguire’s production too much. He had a 42.1% DEFCON success rate with 8.1 contributions/90, and those numbers ticked up a little bit after Michael Carrick became manager. Maguire was also very involved down the stretch as a set-piece threat, so he can rack up points in more than one way even if the clean sheets and DEFCON returns don’t come. United is looking to pick up where it left off last season, and fixtures against Hull City and Ipswich Town in the first two weeks appear fantastic.
If you’re not already stacking three players from Manchester United, there’s a real case to put Maguire in your lineup and see what happens early on. If he scores or his club nets some clean sheets, you’ll be happy you did – especially if both of those outcomes occur, even at 11.9% rostership.
Ferdi Kadioglu, Brighton & Hove Albion (£4.5m)
We’ve looked at the priciest defender in the game and some mid-tier options with significant upside. Let’s round out the list with a more budget-friendly name who can potentially make a difference every gameweek. Brighton’s Ferdi Kadioglu is an under-the-radar pick with just 3.1% rostership in FPL at the moment, but his ability to provide steady production makes him one of the best enablers available. Last season, he posted 3.2 PTS/GM with over 3,000 minutes and 34 starts, so he’s about as nailed as it gets these days. A key cog in Fabian Hurzeler’s squad, he racked up 10 clean sheets last season for what was one of the best defenses in the Premier League from January through the end of the campaign. He often gets further up the field and brings some really solid underlying numbers, and while he recorded just one goal and two assists last season, he underperformed a 5.37 xGI and had a higher xGI/90 than other budget options like Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell.
While not a DEFCON threat for the most part, Kadioglu can give you consistent points as a safe rotation piece/enabler. If you’re chasing a little more upside, consider teammate Luka Vuskovic at £5.0m, who was bought for a significant fee this summer and should replace Jan Paul van Hecke as a starting center back – he showed significant aerial ability and goal threat with six netted shots in 28 Bundesliga appearances last year, but may need a bit of time to adjust to a big role in the Prem.
