Best overall: Van Hecke and Konsa
With gameweek 9 of 2026/27 in progress, 81 defenders priced at £5.0m or less are playing regular minutes. Van Hecke leads our rating, which weighs minutes, clean sheets, defensive actions and fixtures. At £5.0m, his 53 points, 5.9 per game, four clean sheets and two attacking returns offer a balanced case for investment. His 8.3 defensive actions per 90 and an even run ahead, rated FDR 2.8, support buying rather than simply chasing his total.
Konsa is the strongest alternative if the saving matters. At £4.7m, he has 49 points and a higher average of 6.1 per game, alongside four clean sheets, 7.7 defensive actions per 90 and one attacking return. His FDR 3.2 run is still classed as even, but compares less favourably with Van Hecke’s. Choose between them on budget and fixtures; neither record makes replacing an already productive cheap defender an automatic priority.
The £4.5m alternatives
Boscagli offers six clean sheets and 39 points at £4.5m, with an even FDR 2.8 run ahead. That makes him appealing when keeping expenditure down, although 6.2 defensive actions per 90 provides less support from that measure than several alternatives. Dunk costs the same, with four clean sheets, 6.7 defensive actions per 90 and 4.5 points per game. Both warrant consideration, but Boscagli’s clean-sheet count alone should not decide the slot.
Justin has 42 points at 4.7 per game, with three clean sheets and an even FDR 3.2 schedule. Affengruber’s 5.0 points per game and 11.3 defensive actions per 90 make a different case at the same £4.5m price, though his FDR is 3.4. These are credible spending cuts from the £5.0m options. The reason to hold back is equally clear: their fixture ratings offer less encouragement than Boscagli’s or Dunk’s.
Defensive actions versus fixture difficulty
Silva’s 10.3 defensive actions per 90 is the main attraction at £5.0m. He has three clean sheets, 37 points and an even FDR 2.8 run, but his 4.1 points per game trails Van Hecke and Konsa. That makes him worth considering for the underlying record rather than the points already banked. The case against buying is price: Van Hecke occupies the same bracket and leads the overall rating.
Ajer offers a similar defensive-action profile for £4.5m: 10.4 per 90, alongside three clean sheets, one attacking return and 40 points at 4.4 per game. The obstacle is a hard FDR 3.6 run. His price and activity make him a reasonable hold, but the schedule weakens the argument for bringing him in now. Do not let a strong defensive-action figure outweigh fixtures when alternatives at the same price have more favourable runs.
Cheapest playing enablers
Diop is the cheapest listed starter at £3.9m, with 810 minutes, but his 2.2 points per game makes him primarily a funding choice. O’Shea and Davis cost £4.0m and also have 810 minutes, with the same even FDR 2.8 run. O’Shea offers 9.7 defensive actions per 90 and 3.0 points per game; Davis has four attacking returns and averages 3.2. If affordable, their stronger scoring records justify looking beyond the lowest price.
Dasilva also averages 3.2 points at £4.0m, with 804 minutes, two attacking returns and a fair FDR 2.6 run. Ajayi at £4.2m and Egan at £4.1m both average 4.0 points and have three clean sheets, but face a hard FDR 3.6 schedule. Egan’s 11.1 defensive actions per 90 is appealing; the fixtures argue against chasing that average. Use these enablers to fund two premiums up front, rather than treating regular starts as a guarantee of useful returns.
