End of Season Awards – The Defenders

Having rolled out the Goalkeepers article yesterday, it’s now time to analyse the defenders up for consideration in our End of Season awards. The new poll is on the home page (middle column), with four defenders available for your selection. Once again, please bear in mind that the vote is from an overall Fantasy perspective – overall points, price, performances and Fantasy Premier League (FPL) value should all come into consideration here:

Leighton Baines
With 176 points already accrued, the Everton left-back leads the way in the defender standings and is just a couple of points away from equalling his best-ever FPL campaign. Initially priced at 7.0, the Toffees defender was quick out the blocks. Baines produced a goal, a couple of assists and nine bonus points in addition to two clean sheets in the opening five Gameweeks but then embarked on a run of 16 games without defensive returns as David Moyes’ men were continually breached at the back. The only outfield player to have featured in every minute of the season so far, Baines has been immense since the turn of the year, however, and has scored, assisted or produced a clean sheet in 14 of his 17 appearances in 2013. In addition, he has exceeded his goals (five to four), assists (seven to two), bonus points (24 to 18) and clean sheets (11 to nine) in Moyes’ final season at Goodison.

Joey O’Brien
While Guy Demel has become something of a cult figure around these parts, there’s no doubt O’Brien is more deserving of our consideration. Both full-backs started the season price at 4.0 for West Ham yet O’Brien has comfortably outscored the Ivorian by 122 points to 90, supplementing his 11 clean sheets with a couple of goals, four assists and 11 bonus points. Now up to 4.8, O’Brien is only eight points behind Kevin Nolan for the Hammers and in terms of value, he is second top outfield player for the season behind Southampton’s Rickie Lambert.

Ben Davies
An injury to Neil Taylor in Gameweek 3 afforded the youngster the chance to nail down Swansea’s left-back berth. With many of the Swans’ defence slapped with a price hike after their endeavours under Brendan Rodgers in 2011/12, Davies’ initial 4.0 price tag afforded us a cut-price route into Michael Laudrup’s backline. With 32 starts and four sub appearances, Davies has produced a goal, a pair of assists, six bonus points and eight clean sheets in Taylor’s absence and has risen to 4.4, with an ownership just above the 10% mark reflecting his popularity.

Seb Bassong
The Cameroon international has been a vital member of Chris Hughton’s first XI since moving to Norwich from Tottenham last term. Initially priced at 4.5, Bassong has racked up three goals, a couple of assists and five bonus points in addition to 10 clean sheets for the Canaries – a current tally of 121 points in by far the most impressive at the back for Norwich, with Javier Garrido next bet on 102 points. The third best value defender in the FPL game, Bassong has missed just two games since arriving at Carrow Road – given that Norwich have conceded five goals on each occasion, his importance to their defensive cause is more than obvious.

Jan Vertonghen
Tottenham’s summer signing from Ajax has made a belated run for our consideration after a somewhat lukewarm first few months. Vertonghen arrived on these shores with a reputation for finding the net and was resultantly slapped with a 6.5 price tag but with just two goals in the opening 28 Gameweeks, he’d done little to merit such a cost. With a home game against Sunderland still to follow, however, he’s now taken his taken to five for the season (joint-top for defenders) and with three assists and 10 bonus points also thrown in, has offered plenty going forward, with his eye for goal helping him to three sets of double figures this term. Second only to Gareth Bale for Andre Villas-Boas’ side despite returning just eight clean sheets, Vertonghen sits in sixth spot for defenders at the moment, on 128 points.

Pablo Zabaleta
An injury to Micah Richards afforded the Argentine the chance to nail down the right-back role in Roberto Mancini’s final season at the Etihad. Initially priced at 6.0, compared to Vincent Kompany’s 7.5, Zabaleta granted us an obvious route into City’s backline and, in his finest season for his club, he hasn’t disappointed. A series of solid displays have helped Zabaleta deliver a couple of goals, two assists, 12 clean sheets and 14 bonus points over his 28 starts – sitting on 123 points, he’s 12 points of City’s next best defensive option Gael Clichy and returns from suspension for Sunday’s home game with Norwich.

Per Mertesacker
The big German started the season priced at just 5.0 compared to Thomas Vermaelen’s 7.0 but has offered the most secure route into an Arsenal backline that has conceded just 37 goals this season – the second most impressive defence in the top-flight. Now up to 127 points, thanks to three goals, 13 clean sheets and six bonus points, he is 39 points ahead of the Gunners’ next best defender Kieran Gibbs but seems to have mainly stayed under Fantasy radars, riding just 0.5 in price over the course of the campaign.

Jose Enrique
Despite his season being occasionally halted by hamstring issues, Enrique has remained an explosive option for our defences in Brendan Rodgers’ first term in charge at Anfield. From just 24 starts, the Spaniard has racked up two goals, six assists, nine bonus points and 11 clean sheets and has even been fielded on the left of a front three prior to the January transfer window. Serving up an 18 point haul on two occasions this season, his attacking forays down the left have wreaked havoc on opponents’ backlines.

Glen Johnson
Unlikely his fellow Liverpool full-back, Johnson has afforded us an injury-free route into a defence that has now registered 15 clean sheets under Brendan Rodgers. The former West Ham man has started 35 of the Reds’ 37 games so far and whether on his natural right side or covering in Enrique’s absence on the opposite flank, has impressed going forward without quite producing the attacking points his displays have sometimes merited. Nevertheless, with a goal, five assists and seven bonus points also to his name, Johnson – initially priced at 6.5 – is Liverpool’s top scoring defender thus far, sitting on 136 points with a home game against QPR remaining.

Patrice Evra
The Frenchman has hit the goal trail this season and atoned for a downturn in defensive potential at United. Evra produced 19 clean sheets last term compared to 10 this time round but his attacking endeavours down the left flank have helped him rack up four goals, six assists and 16 bonus points – considering he produced two goals and 21 bonus points over the previous six campaigns, his increase has been remarkable. The left-back has not only trumped his fellow full-back by 152 points to 110, he has also outscored all but Robin Van Persie for Sir Alex Ferguson’s title winners in a season where many of United’s Fantasy options simply failed to deliver.

Rafael
Initially priced at 5.5, the young Brazilian peaked at 6.5 as he finally established as a first-team regular under Sir Alex Ferguson. Starting 27 of United’s fixtures, Rafael’s forward forages down the right helped serve up three goals, five assists and 11 bonus points – offering a cheaper alternative to Evra amongst the champions’ backline. While the returns dried up by the end of February, he offered plenty to suggest he could well be an integral part of David Moyes’ defence in the season ahead.

Ryan Shawcross
The Stoke skipper gets the nod for his exploits in the first half of the season. Starting the campaign at 5.0, Shawcross was immense at the back– registering nine clean sheets in the first 18 Gameweeks, he also returned 13 bonus points over those games as Tony Pulis’ side offered a series of resilient displays that made their main assets almost essential. While the wheels have since came off the bandwagon in spectacular style, with just three more clean sheets and two bonus points accrued, Shawcross played a crucial role in many a Fantasy season, with plenty reaping huge rewards from the decision to double up with Asmir Begovic for the first few months, at least.

Branislav Ivanovic
With just a single match remaining, the versatile Chelsea defender is just a couple of points from eclipsing his best ever Fantasy season at the Bridge. Ivanovic has racked up 5 goals, an assist and 12 bonus points in addition to 12 clean sheets and currently sits third in the FPL defender standings. Utilised mainly as a centre-half this term, the Serbian has also filled in at right-back when Cesar Azpilicueta has been rested to the bench and with 32 starts and a single sub appearance, has been almost immune to the rotational whims of Rafa Benitez.

David Luiz
Similar to Ivanovic, the Brazilian was initially priced at 6.5 but while the Serbian has accrued a massive 22% ownership, Luiz finds himself in just 5% of team as the season comes to a close. A share of set-piece duties and occasional shift to central midfield under Benitez has mainly come to fruition on European duty but while Ivanovic was quicker out the blocks, Luiz has finished the stronger – five of his six bonus points, both his assists and one of his two goals have arrived in Luiz’s last nine appearances, shifting him onto radars for next season already.