Clean sheets have been few and far between in the 2023/24 Premier League season so far and in this blog, some of the best Fantasy Premier League (FPL) defensive options who have already notched attacking returns at £5.0m or under are compared using the Fix Comparison Matrix.

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Destiny Udogie (SHU)

With 23 FPL points in the first four Gameweeks, Udogie trails only his teammate Romero (27) for FPL points amongst defenders. He has notched two assists in the last two matches and, has created four chances so far. However, his goal threat appears to be minimal with only one shot across Spurs' opening 4 matches. As the below image from our Fixture Planner shows, the London side have a mixed run of fixtures, they play Sheff. Utd. right after the international break but then play Arsenal and Liverpool before taking on Luton.

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Pedro Porro (SHU)

Porro has played only 268 minutes, the fewest of any defender in this comparison but, importantly, his underlying numbers are quite impressive given the limited minutes. He is top for 'big chances' created, has attempted four assists and already had seven shots. He looks to have cemented his place in the Spurs team after missing out in Gameweek 1, however, at the time of writing he is about £0.2m more than Udogie and from the underlying numbers it doesn't look like there is much to separate the two.

Matty Cash (CRY)

With 21 FPL points across the first four Gameweeks, Cash has had a strong start to the season with two goals. He has been fielded in a right wing role at times which has led to a high volume of shots (nine) and shots on target (five). This is slightly countered by the fact that he has attempted just one assist. However, injuries to Villa's centre-backs mean that he might be restricted to a right-back role going forward which could dent his returns and diminish his FPL appeal.

Rico Henry (new)

Henry has featured for every minute of the campaign thus far and has notched one assist already. He has taken two shots and attempted four assists with one 'big chance' created. Brentford's fixtures for the next four games are mixed, they have away games to Newcastle and Man. Utd. over the next four but there are two great fixtures against Everton and Forest in between, which look good for attacking returns and clean sheets. The boat may have sailed with Brentford as the best fixtures are now behind them, and it therefore might be a little too late to go for Henry.

Lucas Digne (CRY)

Digne has been given plenty of licence to get forward at left-back with his 10 attempted assists leading the way by a significant margin in the comparison. He is also joint-top for assists (two), but it looks like he is not getting any shot volume at all, with zero shots on target so far. Unlike cash, injuries at the back are unlikely to affect his positioning and if you are looking for a Villa defensive asset ahead of the kind run of fixtures he is probably the better option over Cash with his returns looking more sustainable over the long run.

What do the Projections say?

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Botman is expected back for Newcastle after the international break, and the two Newcastle centre-backs top the Algorithm projections for defenders at £5.0m or under across the next six Gameweeks. The Algorithm still backs Brentford with Henry and Pinnock also featuring prominently. Wan-Bissaka's numbers were not included in the comparison above as he has not managed any attacking returns, and his underlying numbers in terms of creativity are very disappointing, with just the one attempted assist. However, he is a cheap route into the Red Devils' backline, and they have three home fixtures in the next four gameweeks after the international break. Andersen is also a great option with the centre back a nailed-on route into Hodgson's staunch back line.