Top 6 best budget defenders in Fantasy Premier League 2023/24

In Fantasy Premier League (FPL), one of the most underrated decisions you’ll make is picking your cheap enablers to boost your team to reach as high a ceiling as possible. This can mainly be done with the best budget defenders in FPL — and some of them in past years have become FPL must-haves. Here are our selections.

Defenders in FPL are becoming increasingly more important with each passing season. While once upon a time you could get away with going cheap at the back, the way defenders now play in the attacking phases of a match has made them vital.

This makes players like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James, Luke Shaw, and more seriously tantalizing options when it comes to picking your team.

Unfortunately, those players will come at a premium cost — especially Alexander-Arnold, who comes in as the most expensive defender in FPL history at 8.0. Instead, here are the players costing 4.0-4.5 that you could get in your team to spread your cash better.

Best budget FPL defenders (4m – 4.5m)

Tyrone Mings (4.5, Aston Villa)

Aston Villa are absolutely a team to watch this season as they look to improve on their 7th-place finish in 2022/23.

Mings started finding solid form towards the latter end of the season and should be a mainstay at the heart of that Villa defense, making him an extremely easy pick at this price point. There has been debates over whether the signing of Pau Torres (4.5, DEF) will mean competition for his spot, but it seems more likely that they’ll line up together. His 17 bonus points and aerial threat make him a great rotation player in your team.

Sven Botman (4.5, Newcastle)

Botman was a key component in Newcastle’s defense during the 2022/23 season, and many FPL managers reaped the rewards of getting him in early, as he became one of the top-scoring defenders in the league.

With Trippier valued at 6.5, he’s not quite as tempting — but his teammate could be a valid replacement. It’s worth noting, however, that Newcastle’s difficult opening fixtures may mean waiting a few gameweeks to get Botman in.

Jordan Beyer (4.0, Burnley)

Burnley conceded just 35 goals in 2022/23, the lowest number of all Championship teams, and Beyer was the stalwart that held the defense down the entire season.

They will no doubt struggle to be as tight defensively in the Premier League, but if you’re looking for some cheap enablers to help save some money, players like Beyer are your best bet.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka (4.5, Manchester United)

Wan-Bissaka played a majority of Premier League matches for United following the World Cup, mainly because of uncertainty across the United backline, but put in some very strong performances throughout.

While Dalot may sometimes be a preferred option on the right, AWB could be a great differential if he ends up being the number one choice, but it’s worth noting that this is more of a punt than some of the other choices in this list.

George Baldock (4.0, Sheffield United)

Baldock is becoming an increasingly popular FPL pick, as an attacking full back that should get solid minutes, despite competition from teammate Jayden Bogle (4.5).

He’s not as safe an option as someone like Beyer, but could offer much more as an attacking threat should the opportunity arise for Sheffield.

Issa Kaboré (4.0, Luton Town)

Kaboré is an attacking right-back for Luton Town that, while isn’t likely to take the Premier League by storm given the club’s stature, should be getting a lot of minutes under his belt while offering attacking opportunities too.

Don’t look at Kaboré or another 4m defender as a starter for your team, as there are far better options, but having him as a safety blanket on the bench is a great idea — especially if he does exceed expectations throughout the season.

Obviously, these aren’t the only options, with many different assets in the 4.0-4.5 range. West Ham’s Nayef Aguerd (and possibly Harry Maguire, should that reported transfer go through), Everton’s James Tarkowski, and Brighton’s Tariq Lamptey may all be worth a punt, depending on what your squad needs and the team coverage you already have.

Be sure to check out the rest of our FPL guides to stay ahead of the competition:

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