In this article, we will look at the best defenders to pick for your Fantasy Premier League team for Gameweek 34 in the 2023/24 season. Which FPL defenders to buy, hold/keep, or sell?
Let’s dive in. If you are aiming to use a wildcard or free hit in GW34, here are the FPL defenders to pick from, with our comments and ratings of each.
Read more about GW34 in our guide: FPL Gameweek 34: Tips, Captain, Transfer Targets & Team Selection
Best defenders For Gameweek 34: Our Watchlist
We will look at defenders from every price point: budget enablers, midpriced picks, and premium options. Here is our watchlist of defenders (with our ratings) that we consider before Gameweek 34 in FPL.
Budget defenders beyond Gameweek 34 (4m – 4.5m)
First, let’s start with the best 4m and 4.5m defenders, who will likely be just on the bench of our FPL teams.
Notes:
- Branthwaite (4.3m) – regularly starting cheap defender with double gameweek in GW34
- Van Hecke (4.1m, Brighton) – another budget option for our benches, double gameweek in GW37
Senesi (4.5m, Bournemouth) – 4/10
Verdict: Buy
- attacking threat
- But do not have unrealistic expectations about clean sheets from Bournemouth
- He is on 9 yellow cards, but after GW32 threshold for ban increases for 15 yellows
Tarkowski (4.6m, Everton) – 4.5/10
Verdict: Buy
- Everton with nice fixture run until GW37
- Double gameweek in GW34
- attacking threat after set pieces, 1G + 1A this season
Andersen (4.7m, Crystal Palace) – 5/10
Verdict: Hold for double gameweek 34
- The key man in Crystal Palace’s backline
- Fixtures with clean sheet potential
- offers a slight goal threat, he was averaging 2.33 attacking returns per season in the last 3 Premier League campaigns
- Solid at bonus points as well
- Mitchell and Munoz are bit cheaper and offer attacking threat as well
Ait Nouri (4.8m, Crystal Palace) – 7/10
Verdict: Wait for injury news, if he is fit – buy
- playing out of position, in very advanced role
- If he is fit, he is one of key players to own
- 2G + 2A in his last 6 Premier League games
- but you have rely more on attacking returns than clean sheets
Mid-priced FPL defenders beyond Gameweek 34 (5m – 5.5m)
Gabriel (5.4m, Arsenal) – 8/10
Verdict: Hold, one of key assets to own for double gameweek in GW34
- Arenal has the lowest xG conceded this season
- Goal threat, 3.33 attacking returns per season on average over the last 3 seasons
- But if budget is no issue, we would go for White
Saliba (5.9m, Arsenal) – 8/10
Verdict: Hold
- the most nailed Arsenal defender
Ben White (6m, Arsenal) – 8.5/10
Verdict: Buy
- offers attacking threat 2G + 5A this season in Premierl League, and similarly 2G + 5A last PL season
- differential defender
Premium FPL defenders beyond Gameweek 34 (6m – 8m)
Van Dijk (6.6m, Liverpool) – 7.5/10
Verdict: Buy
- Liverpool with 3rd lowest xG conceded of all teams this season.
- his attacking threat after set pieces is undeniable, he could have another season with around 3 goals and a few odd assists
- With Szoboszlai and TAA delivery from set pieces, Van Dijk will be a threat
TAA (8.4m, Liverpool) – 4/10
Verdict: could be differential, but he might not start both games as he is just back from injury
- multiple routes to FPL points
- Good at BPS, second for Bonus Points this season after Trippier
- disappointed the previous season with “only” 156 points
- TAA had a slow start to the season but improved and finished strongly, so if continues in his form from the end of last season, he is definitely one to own in our fantasy teams
- It’s hard to fit him into our FPL teams
- Liverpool with poor defensive performance, attacking returns might not be enough to justify TAA price tag, we need clean sheets too
Tips for picking the best defenders for your FPL team
- With defenders, you always want a defender that has a very high chance of a clean sheet. You can use our Premier League Clean Sheets Odds to find goalkeepers, who are most likely to keep a clean sheet in the next gameweek of FPL.
- Also, when considering defenders for your fantasy team, you always have to take a look at fixtures and asses whether a certain defender has the potential for a clean sheet. Does he have a tough or easy fixture? And as we mentioned, our clean sheet odds will help you with that.
- Check FDR to find defenders with the great fixture run that could be good for clean sheets and attacking returns as well
- Also, asses the attacking potential of defenders – attacking full-backs, attacking wing-backs, and center back who are good at headers after corners can offer high points output as you do not have to rely solely on clean sheet points
FPL Defenders with stable points output in the previous 4 seasons
Read more in our article: Best long-term FPL picks for 2023/24 season
How many points should you expect from your defender in Fantasy Premier League?
Do not have unrealistic expectations from your FPL defenders.
- At best, the top teams can keep around 14-20 clean sheets per season. So, when you select a premium defender, expect you will get a clean sheet in every second match at the best.
- Mid-table teams tend to keep around 8-13 clean sheets per season. So, with mid-priced defenders, expect a clean sheet in every fourth match
- Bottom table teams usually keep around 0-7 clean sheets per season. So when picking budget enablers from bottom-table teams, do not really expect more than a clean sheet in every 6th match.
- attacking full-backs (like TAA, James, Cancelo, Chilwell) can get around 10 attacking returns in a season – so 1 attacking return every 4th match is an excellent return from your defenders
- few center backs (who are good at headers) might get around 3-5 goals per season, so a goal every 10th match from your centre back is an excellent rate of attacking returns
- So, usually, top-scoring FPL defenders can get around 170-210 points per season.
- But usually 140-160 points is the amount of points you should aim to get from you defenders during the whole FPL season – that is a more realistic goal
How are defenders awarded points in FPL?
The majority of FPL points for defenders go through clean sheets – 4 points – that’s their main source of points.
Then attacking returns can earn them extra points as well – 6 points for a goal and 3 for an assist. And usually, when a defender keeps a clean sheet and gets an attacking return there is a potential that he will get awarded a few bonus points.
Further resources
