Fantasy FixturesBest Cheap FPL Defenders (£4.5m or less)
2026/27 · Updated 22 October 2026
Defenders costing £4.5m or less, ranked by points per game. We require 270+ minutes so you only see enablers who actually play.
Going into gameweek 8, Mendy (Hull City, 5.6 PPG) leads the list, ahead of Schuster (Brentford, 5.5 PPG) and Maitland-Niles (Everton, 5.2 PPG). Mendy has 28 points this season at £4.1m, selected by 5.4% of managers.
| # | Player | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |   Nobel MendyHull City · DEF | +£100,000 | +2.50% | ▲ 40 days | 5.6 | £4,100,000 | 28 | 81–3– |
| 2 |   Jannik SchusterBrentford · DEF | £0 | 0.00% | – | 5.5 | £4,500,000 | 22 | 43141– |
| 3 |   Ainsley Maitland-NilesEverton · DEF | £0 | 0.00% | – | 5.2 | £4,500,000 | 26 | 76841 |
| 4 |   David AffengruberFulham · DEF | £0 | 0.00% | – | 5.2 | £4,500,000 | 21 | –8436 |
| 5 |   James JustinLeeds · DEF | £0 | 0.00% | – | 4.9 | £4,500,000 | 34 | 42862 |
| 6 |   Olivier BoscagliBrighton · DEF | £0 | 0.00% | – | 4.9 | £4,500,000 | 34 | 266510 |
| 7 |  Lewis DunkBrighton · DEF | £0 | 0.00% | – | 4.8 | £4,500,000 | 29 | 512–16 |
| 8 |  Ferdi KadıoğluBrighton · DEF | −£100,000 | −2.22% | ▼ 47 days | 4.7 | £4,400,000 | 28 | 26596 |
| 9 |  Timothy CastagneFulham · DEF | £0 | 0.00% | – | 4.7 | £4,500,000 | 28 | 161–8 |
| 10 |   Bobby ThomasCoventry City · DEF | £0 | 0.00% | – | 4.4 | £4,000,000 | 31 | 40943 |
| 11 |  John EganHull City · DEF | +£100,000 | +2.50% | ▲ 40 days | 4.4 | £4,100,000 | 31 | 62114 |
| 12 |  Semi AjayiHull City · DEF | +£200,000 | +5.00% | ▲ 47 days | 4.3 | £4,200,000 | 30 | 51112 |
| 13 |  Kristoffer AjerBrentford · DEF | £0 | 0.00% | – | 4.3 | £4,500,000 | 30 | 21763 |
| 14 |   Tyrick MitchellCrystal Palace · DEF | £0 | 0.00% | – | 4.0 | £4,500,000 | 28 | 151740 |
| 15 |  Ryan GilesHull City · DEF | £0 | 0.00% | – | 3.9 | £4,000,000 | 27 | 84021 |
| 16 |   Jorrel HatoChelsea · DEF | £0 | 0.00% | – | 3.8 | £4,500,000 | 19 | 30––11 |
| 17 |  Gabriel GudmundssonLeeds · DEF | £0 | 0.00% | – | 3.8 | £4,500,000 | 19 | 26641 |
| 18 |   Leif DavisIpswich Town · DEF | £0 | 0.00% | – | 3.7 | £4,000,000 | 26 | 114210 |
| 19 |   Andrew RobertsonSpurs · DEF | −£100,000 | −2.22% | ▼ 40 days | 3.7 | £4,400,000 | 22 | 174–5 |
| 20 |  Jay DasilvaCoventry City · DEF | £0 | 0.00% | – | 3.6 | £4,000,000 | 25 | 201550 |
| 21 |  Calvin BasseyFulham · DEF | £0 | 0.00% | – | 3.6 | £4,500,000 | 25 | 16628 |
| 22 |  Dara O'SheaIpswich Town · DEF | £0 | 0.00% | – | 3.4 | £4,000,000 | 24 | 312113 |
| 23 |  Antonee RobinsonFulham · DEF | −£100,000 | −2.22% | ▼ 2 days | 3.2 | £4,400,000 | 19 | 162–7 |
| 24 |   Tyrone MingsAston Villa · DEF | £0 | 0.00% | – | 3.0 | £4,500,000 | 18 | 60317 |
| 25 |  Victor LindelöfAston Villa · DEF | £0 | 0.00% | – | 2.9 | £4,500,000 | 20 | 61139 |
How to use this list
Budget defenders are the enablers that let you afford premium players elsewhere. Check minutes first: a cheap player who does not start costs you points from the bench as well as the money. Points per game rewards players who return when they play, so it suits picks who fill a regular slot.
Prices move during the season, so a player can leave this list after a couple of rises. If a pick here also ranks well for value and has easy fixtures, a rise is likely, and buying early saves money.