As we approach the start of another thrilling season of European football, managers are busy drafting their fantasy teams.
In this article, we’ll look at the best defenders in UCL Fantasy 2023/24.
There’s a lot to think about when deciding on the best defenders to pick for UCL Fantasy: clean sheets, ball recoveries, and attacking threat.
Here are some players that fall into all of those categories.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo
- Price: €5.5m
- Picked by: 17%
Di Lorenzo averaged an impressive 7.0 points per appearance in the previous UCL season, showcasing his consistency in accumulating fantasy points.
He has found early season form, already sitting on 3 G/A in 3 Serie A games, further solidifying his appeal.
In the last Champions League campaign, Di Lorenzo contributed with 4 G/A and was involved in 29 shot-creating actions.
Moreover, Napoli has a relatively straightforward group stage featuring Braga and Union Berlin.
They also managed 18 clean sheets last season in Serie A, showing they are a defensively strong team.
Alphonso Davies
- Price: €6.0m
- Picked by: 25%
Bayern face off against Man Utd in MD1 but appear to be doing so at the perfect time.
After that, they face Galatasaray and Copenhagen across the next four fixtures. Matches that will not phase them.
Therefore, Bayern players are essential.
The best route into the Bayern defence, and maybe the whole team, is Davies at €6.0m.
He is a certain starter and has already provided three assists in Bayern’s four Bundesliga matches.
Ruben Dias
- Price: €5.5m
- Picked by: 25%
Dias’s performance in the previous season mirrors that of Di Lorenzo, accumulating an impressive 75 fantasy points (2nd most among defenders).
He also averaged 6.8 points per appearance, showcasing consistency.
He will have opportunities to earn the MOTM award when City get those inevitable clean sheets. It’s also worth noting that he recovered 61 balls last season.
City’s fixtures include Young Boys, Leipzig, and Crvena Zvezda, all of whom the Citizens are more than capable of keeping clean sheets against.
No Man City defender is nailed but Dias is arguably most so.
Additionally, he offers a significant goal threat, but he is also the most expensive defensive asset from City.
There are other City defensive options, too. All of John Stones (€5.5m), Josko Gvardiol (€5.5m), Manuel Akanji (€5.0m), and Nathan Ake (€4.5m) are fine picks.
Stones and Gvardiol could line up in midfield but are less nailed than Dias and Akanji.
Meanwhile, Ake offers the cheapest route into the City defense but would seem to be the least likely to start. That’s not to say he won’t, though.
Federico Dimarco
- Price: €5.5m
- Picked by: 14%
Last season, Dimarco demonstrated his playmaking abilities with 5 assists and has continued to impress this season, already providing 2 assists in 3 Serie A games for Inter.
Dimarco accumulated 64 points last season, ranking fifth among defenders.
His impressive average of 6.4 points per appearance last season sets him apart.
Furthermore, Inter’s 532 formation, allows their full-backs like Dimarco to get forward.
Fran Garcia
- Price: €4.5m
- Picked by: 7%
Garcia is an attractive budget defender for your UCL Fantasy 23/24 team, priced at just €4.5m.
In the absence of Ferland Mendy, he has been a regular starter for Real Madrid in La Liga, securing two clean sheets in the four games.
Garcia boasts the 4th-highest number of progressive carries for Real Madrid in the first four games, behind only Rodrygo, Valverde, and Bellingham.
Currently, he’s only selected by 2% of managers, making him a good differential option.
Real Madrid’s group stage opponents, Union Berlin, Braga, and Napoli, offer a favorable clean sheet potential.
Keep an eye out for Ferland Mendy’s return to the lineup; however, even with potential rotations, Fran Garcia continues to offer excellent value.
Joao Cancelo
- Price: €6.0m
- Picked by: 33%
Joao Cancelo’s fantasy resume has always been impressive.
Last season, he averaged an excellent 6.4 points per appearance, and he had 40 balls recovered in just 499 minutes.
Additionally, Cancelo provided 5 assists last season and during the 2021-22 season, he registered 5 G/A in just 9 games.
Moreover, looking at Barcelona’s group stage opponents — FC Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Antwerp, it’s reasonable to anticipate clean sheets.
Others
- Theo Hernandez – Milan faces a tough group (PSG, Newcastle and Dortmund) and Theo is the most expensive defender coming in at €6.5m. Currently the most-owned defender in UCL fantasy (27%).
- Nathan Ake – Coming in at just €4.5m, Ake could be a great budget defender if he starts. Ake played 608 minutes in UCL for City last year, and he is currently picked by 14% of the managers.
- Denzel Dumfries – Just like his full-back partner Dimarco, he offers a significant attacking threat in Inter’s 532 formation. 2 G/A in 3 Serie A games.