The Best Defenders for Draft Fantasy Premier League 2026/27
Gabriel is the first defender to draft in 2026/27, and the gap is large enough to make him a first-round player. Marc Guéhi is the clear second choice. After those two, Nico O'Reilly, Marcos Senesi, Nordi Mukiele and Daniel Muñoz form a much flatter tier.
That is the short answer. The useful decision is whether to spend an early pick on the position or wait for its depth.
This guide is for draft leagues, where each Premier League player can belong to only one manager. There are no fixed player prices and no shared ownership. If your rival drafts Gabriel, you cannot select him too. That scarcity changes the order in Draft Fantasy Premier League, especially when one defender projects far ahead of the replacement pool.
Best Draft Fantasy Premier League defenders: the 2026/27 board
The table uses Draft Fantasy's live 2026/27 model, captured on 4 August. Season xP is the projected total across 38 Gameweeks. Edge is the player's projected advantage over the best defender expected to remain undrafted in an eight-manager league.
Scoring note: every projection and ranking uses Draft Fantasy regular scoring, which matches official FPL scoring. Custom-scoring leagues calculate their own player points from the commissioner's settings, so centre-backs, attacking full-backs and auction bids can move into a different order.
| Player | Draft call | Season xP | Edge | First five fixtures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabriel | Round 1 | 252 | +114 |
|
| Marc Guéhi | Early Round 2 | 197 | +59 |
|
| Nico O'Reilly | Round 2 | 182 | +44 |
|
| Marcos Senesi | Round 2 | 180 | +42 |
|
| Nordi Mukiele | Round 2 | 180 | +42 |
|
| Daniel Muñoz | Round 3 | 180 | +42 |
|
| Virgil van Dijk | Round 3 | 177 | +39 |
|
| James Tarkowski | Round 3 | 175 | +38 |
|
| Joško Gvardiol | Round 4 | 169 | +31 |
|
| Maxence Lacroix | Round 4 | 169 | +31 |
|
Draft Fantasy model snapshot from 4 August 2026. Edge is projected points above the replacement defender in an eight-manager league; totals are rounded to the nearest point. Fixture difficulty: 1 is easiest and 5 is hardest.
The replacement defender projects 138 points. That makes Gabriel the exception: his 114-point edge is almost twice Guéhi's and more than three times the edge of the tenth-ranked defender. The rest of the position is deep enough that you can change course when a tier becomes expensive. The 2026/27 goalkeeper rankings show an even flatter position after its top tier, which is another reason not to spend early picks at both defender and goalkeeper.
What to bid in an eight-manager auction
Draft Fantasy auction leagues give each manager a £250 budget and a chance to bid on every player. The numbers below assume an eight-manager league, a standard 15-player squad and regular scoring.
The current averages are winning bids from qualifying completed Draft Fantasy auctions. A dash means the sample is not yet sufficient. Suggested ceilings are editorial limits for this scenario, not fixed prices, and every pound spent on a defender is unavailable for a scarce striker or elite midfielder.
| Player | Current average bid | Editorial ceiling | Auction plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gabriel | £29.0 | £35–£40 | Pay for the only defender with a first-round edge |
| Marc Guéhi | — | £18–£22 | The balanced alternative if Gabriel becomes too expensive |
| Nico O'Reilly | £12.7 | £15–£18 | Buy the upside, but leave room for rotation risk |
| Marcos Senesi | — | £13–£17 | Target the defensive-contribution floor in a new team |
| Nordi Mukiele | — | £10–£13 | A high-floor second defender rather than a premium spend |
| Daniel Muñoz | — | £10–£14 | Pay for attacking routes without chasing the name |
| Virgil van Dijk | — | £9–£12 | Take reliability if the room discounts centre-backs |
| James Tarkowski | — | £8–£11 | A floor pick who should not trigger a bidding war |
| Joško Gvardiol | — | £6–£10 | Treat minutes and role as part of the price |
| Maxence Lacroix | — | £5–£8 | Useful depth once the first four defenders are secured |
Observed averages from qualifying completed Draft Fantasy auctions, captured 4 August 2026. Editorial ceilings assume a £250 budget, eight managers, 15-player squads and regular scoring.
Gabriel is the one defender worth building an auction plan around. The more interesting discipline comes after him. If Guéhi or O'Reilly crosses the ceiling, move laterally into Senesi, Mukiele or Muñoz rather than paying a premium for a small projected difference.
Open the free 2026/27 draft cheat sheet, select eight managers and filter to defenders before your draft. It will show the latest tier breaks, opening fixtures and availability flags rather than freezing this 4 August snapshot in time.
Create a Premier League auction league and let your managers decide each player's value through live bidding.
1. Gabriel is a genuine first-round defender
Gabriel is not merely the top name at his position. Draft Fantasy ranks him third overall in an eight-manager league because his advantage over the replacement pool is so large.
The projection is aggressive for a reason. Gabriel led all defenders with 209 points last season, and the Premier League's 2026/27 launch analysis also highlights a Gameweek 1 home match against Coventry. He brings Arsenal clean-sheet potential, goal threat and defensive-contribution routes in the same slot.
If you draw a late first-round snake pick, Gabriel is a valid way to secure a positional advantage before the turn. If he goes earlier, do not chase the position immediately: Guéhi is valuable, but the gap between them is 55 projected points.
2. Marc Guéhi is the safer second-round alternative
Guéhi projects 197 points, 59 above replacement, and Manchester City have three appealing home matches in their opening five. He also offers a clearer centre-back role than City's more attack-minded defenders.
Guéhi maintained his output after moving to Manchester City in January. The Premier League's 2025/26 Team of the Season review records eight attacking returns, 14 clean sheets and 179 fantasy points, the second-highest defender total from last season.
Take Guéhi at the start of Round 2 if the elite forward and midfield tiers have gone. In an auction, he is the better escape route when Gabriel's price stops making sense.
3. O'Reilly and Senesi offer two different kinds of upside
Nico O'Reilly and Marcos Senesi are separated by fewer than two projected points, but they get there differently.
O'Reilly is the attack-first option in a strong Manchester City defence. The Premier League's 2026/27 Bonus Points System analysis identified him as a premium defender who could benefit from the revised bonus calculations. His current £12.7 observed auction average is reasonable; the risk is paying as though every start is guaranteed.
Senesi is the defensive-contribution specialist. Tottenham report that he scored 175 points last season, finished behind only Gabriel and Guéhi among defenders, and produced more defensive-contribution points than any other defender. His move to Spurs changes the team context, but not the underlying actions that support his floor.
Choose O'Reilly when you can absorb rotation. Choose Senesi when you want stable points that do not depend entirely on a clean sheet.
4. Mukiele and Muñoz complete the second-tier targets
Mukiele and Muñoz both round to 180 projected points and a 42-point edge. That is too close to pretend the model has a precise preference.
Mukiele is the floor pick. Sunderland used him regularly in their defensive unit last season, and the club's April report records his decisive goal in a 1-0 win over Tottenham. The opening five are mixed, but Ipswich, Fulham and Brentford offer a usable start before Arsenal and Manchester City.
Muñoz is the ceiling pick. His wide role creates more attacking routes, while matches against Ipswich and Leeds arrive inside the first five. Take Muñoz first if you already have a reliable defender; take Mukiele first if this pick needs to stabilize the position.
5. Van Dijk and Tarkowski are dependable Round 3 picks
Virgil van Dijk and James Tarkowski are the point where a defender run should stop feeling urgent.
Both sit around 175 projected points with strong defensive-contribution profiles and secure roles. Van Dijk offers the stronger clean-sheet environment. Tarkowski has three home fixtures in his first five and can reach useful scores through defensive work even when Everton concede.
They are excellent second defenders. They are poor reasons to ignore a falling forward or midfielder in Round 3, because the model still has Gvardiol, Lacroix, Rúben Dias and Adrien Truffert available in the next tier.
6. Gvardiol and Lacroix are Round 4 upside picks
Gvardiol and Lacroix both project 169 points, 31 above replacement. The projection is attractive; the question is how confidently you can forecast their minutes and roles before Gameweek 1.
Gvardiol benefits from Manchester City's opening schedule and has the more established attacking ceiling. Lacroix offers a new Chelsea context and a lower expected acquisition cost. Neither needs to be your first defender, which is what makes Round 4 the right risk-reward point.
Do not pay for the best possible version of either player. Take the discount created by uncertainty, or move on.
The defender rule for draft night
Defender is deep, but the top of the position is not flat. That produces a simple plan:
- take Gabriel in Round 1 when the elite striker tier has gone;
- take Guéhi in early Round 2, then respect the smaller gaps behind him;
- use defensive contributions to separate similar centre-backs;
- pair an attacking defender with a secure-minutes defender;
- stop a defender run when the next tier is still six or seven names deep;
- rotate your final defender slot through fixtures and waivers rather than overpaying in August.
Current r/DraftEPL discussion is heavily focused on positional rankings and draft order, but salary-cap defender templates are a weak guide to a unique-player league. Draft position, replacement value and the chance to find another usable defender later matter more than published player prices.
The draft cheat sheet updates as squads, injuries and fixtures change. Check it again on the morning of your draft, especially for Manchester City and Chelsea defenders whose role certainty can move quickly.
Fantasy draft defender FAQs
Should Gabriel really go in the first round?
Yes in an eight-manager regular-scoring league. Draft Fantasy projects him 114 points above the replacement defender and ranks him third overall. That positional advantage is the reason, not the fact that he is DEF1.
How many defenders should I draft early?
Draft one premium defender when the value is there, then let the room come to you. In an eight-manager league, two defenders in the first four rounds is enough unless a higher-tier player falls well beyond his expected pick.
Do clean sheets or attacking returns matter more?
Neither should be used alone. Clean sheets depend heavily on the team; attacking returns can be volatile. Regular scoring also rewards qualifying defensive contributions, which gives high-action centre-backs another path to points.
Do fixed FPL prices matter in a fantasy draft?
No. A snake draft uses pick order, and a Draft Fantasy auction uses live bids from a £250 budget. The published prices in the salary-cap game do not set a defender's auction value.
What changes in a custom-scoring league?
Potentially the entire order. Extra rewards for tackles, interceptions, clearances or aerials can lift centre-backs, while larger attacking bonuses can favour full-backs. Use your league's own player points before copying these regular-scoring rankings or bid ceilings.
Build your 2026/27 league
Use the free Premier League draft board to plan the first four rounds, then create your 2026/27 Draft Fantasy league, invite your managers and choose a snake or auction draft.