The best defenders since the restart

With the international break upon us, we look back and take a deep dive into the stats of the best defenders since the restart. With the help of the Fantasy Football Scout members area, we can find some of the top picks at the back moving forward.

An important part of the season is approaching. With impending blank and double Gameweeks it could be vital to find the best defenders since the restart, and if the fixtures are good, we can target them for the latter stages of the campaign.

Fixtures

Below we can see teams in order of fixture difficulty from now until the end of the season. The teams at the top have the easiest fixtures whilst the teams at the bottom have the toughest fixtures. There is a scheduled double Gameweek in 29, a blank Gameweek in 32 and a double Gameweek in 34.

Non-penalty expected goal involvement comparison

Non-penalty expected goal involvement measures both expected goals and expected assists combined. Below we can see the best 10 defenders in the game since the restart.

Kieran Trippier

Amongst all defenders in the league since the restart Kieran Trippier (£6.1m) ranks first for non-penalty expected goal involvement (3.74). He also ranks first for expected assists (3.39) but ranks outside the top 30 defenders for expected goals (0.35).

Trippier has managed to produce two assists, zero goals and five clean sheets (joint second) since the restart. Newcastle rank eighth on the fixture ticker from now until the end of the season. They also have a double Gameweek in 29 and play a fixture in blank Gameweek 32.

Luke Ayling

Leeds full-back Luke Ayling (£4.5m) ranks second amongst all defenders in the league for non-penalty expected goal involvement (3.09). In the same period he ranks sixth for expected assists (1.39) and second for expected goals (1.70).

Since the restart Ayling has managed to create zero assists, one goal and three clean sheets (joint fourth). Leeds rank around mid-table on the fixture ticker from now until the end of the season. They have a double Gameweek in 29 and play a fixture in blank Gameweek 32.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Amongst all defenders in the league in terms of non-penalty expected goal involvement Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold ranks third (3.05). In the same period he ranks second for expected assists (2.45) and outside the top 20 defenders for expected goals (0.60).

Since the restart Alexander-Arnold has picked up two assists, zero goals and five clean sheets (five). Liverpool rank first on the fixture ticker from now until the end of the season. The Reds face a double Gameweek in 29, play a fixture in blank Gameweek 32 and face a double in Gameweek 34.

Oleksandr Zinchenko

Arsenal full-back Oleksandr Zinchenko (£5.2m) ranks seventh amongst all defenders for non-penalty expected goal involvement since the restart (2.48). In the same time he ranks fifth for expected assists (1.40) and 11th for expected goals (1.08).

Since the restart Zinchenko has collected one assist, one goal and five clean sheets (joint second). Arsenal rank second from bottom on the fixture ticker. They do not double in Gameweek 29, play a fixture in Gameweek 32 and do not double in Gameweek 34.

Rico Henry

Amongst all defenders in the league since the restart Brentford full-back Rico Henry (£4.6m) ranks ninth for non-penalty expected goal involvement (2.25). Henry also ranks eighth for expected assists (1.36) and outside the top 10 for expected goals (0.89).

Since the restart Henry has produced one assist, zero goals and four clean sheets (joint third). Brentford rank amongst the bottom six teams on the fixture ticker. They face a double Gameweek in 29, a fixture in blank Gameweek 32 and do not double in Gameweek 34.