The top scorers up front tend to get the majority of the attention when it comes to Premier League fantasy competitions. However, the defenders tend to be just as important throughout the course of the season. No defensive unit was better from an EPL fantasy perspective than the one that belongs to the Premier League champions Chelsea this season. The Blues produced three defenders that ranked among the top five in fantasy scoring. Here is a look at the top five EPL fantasy defenders from the Premier League this past season.
Gary Cahill, Chelsea
Cahill was an absolute rock on the back line for Chelsea all season as he logged 3,296 total minutes of action. Cahill finished the season with a career-high six goals. He was on the field for 15 clean sheets compared to only 29 goals conceded all season. The veteran defender only barely edged out his teammate Marcos Alonso for the best EPL fantasy score among Premier League defenders this past season.
Chelsea finished they as the Premier League champions. It’s interesting to see that they were the top team in the league even though they scored less goals than second-place Tottenham and allowed more than them as well. Chelsea finished with seven more points than Tottenham.
Marcos Alonso, Chelsea
Alonso matched Cahill to lead all Chelsea defenders with six goals for and also registered three assists assists and 15 clean sheets. Alonso played only 2,694 minutes but he was also on the field for fewer goals conceded than his teammate Cahill. Alonso’s consistency was key to Chelsea’s success. If he had played as many minutes as his teammate Cahill then he likely would have finished at the top of this list in terms of fantasy production at the defender position.
Cesar Azpilicueta, Chelsea
Azpilicueta rounds out the top three on the board for Chelsea with the third-best fantasy score among Premier League defenders. Azpilicueta played the most minutes of any Premier League defender with 3,420 minutes played. While he was on the field for 33 goals conceded, he was also present for 16 clean sheets. Azpilicueta only scored a single goal but he did finish with four assists to boost his fantasy score. The Blues ran away with the Premier League title again in 2017 and their back end was a big reason for it.
Kyle Walker, Tottenham
There was a major drop off from the big three to Walker in terms of fantasy score. Cahill, Alonso and Azpilicueta all registered between 170-178 fantasy points according to the official Premier League fantasy scoring system. Walker was fourth on the list with just 142 points. The Hotspurs defender four assists in 2,704 minutes of action with 14 clean sheets. The Tottenham defense held up well in its own end but Walker was by far the top performer from a fantasy perspective for that group.
Tottenham ended up in second place in the Premier League standings. They were a very reliable team in terms of EPL fantasy all season long. At the offensive end, they scored 86 goals, which was the most in the EPL. Forward Harry Kane set the pace. At the back end, no team allowed less goals that the Hotspurs 26. They were the only team in the league to allow less than 33.
Leighton Baines, Everton
Bournemouth’s Charlie Daniels and Everton’s Seamus Coleman both deserve honorable mention here but it is Baines that earned the final spot on this list. Baines played 2,821 minutes for Everton this season. He registered two goals and three assists while completing 11 clean sheet performances. Baines earned the final spot on this list with the fifth-best fantasy score among Premier League defenders this past season.
Everton finished the season in seventh place in the EPL standings. By the end of the season, they didn’t have much opportunity to move either way. Their 61 points was 15 better than eighth-place Southampton and eight behind sixth-place Manchester United. Everton scored 62 goals on the year while allowing 44. Their +18 goal differential was the seventh-best mark in the league, so they finished right where they should have according to the measurables.
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