The Premier League 2025/26 season is all set to commence on Friday with defending champion Liverpool playing host to Bournemouth.

A brand new season also brings along the chance for Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers to build a squad from scratch.

This year’s FPL sees a major overhaul in the scoring system for defenders. Centre-backs and central midfielders, who were erstwhile not considered as favourable picks due to their limited point offering, will be boosted by the Defensive Contributions introduced this season.

A defender will win two additional points if their cumulative clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles exceed 10. Midfielders will get the couple of points if this number goes past 12.

With these changes in effect, here are five budget-friendly options managers can consider to shore up their defence in the upcoming season:

Neco Williams – Nottingham Forest (£5m)

Neco Williams is one of the two £5m defenders from Nottingham Forest, along with Ola Aina. Though Aina had more points and better Expected Goal Contributions last season, the Welsh defender should be preferred for his defensive attributes. He would have scored the two Defensive Contributions points in more than 30 per cent of his games last season. Moreover, Aina coming back from an injury may impact his chances to start early in the season.

Budget goalkeepers – READ

Budget midfielders – READ

Budget forwards – READ

Aaron Wan-Bissaka – West Ham United (£4.5m)

The West Ham wing back will be one of the most sought after defenders in the early gameweeks this season. He was an attacking threat under Graham Potter and managed six assists and two goals. An easy run of fixtures early on is likely to boost West Ham’s chances of keeping clean sheets.

Jayden Bogle – Leeds United (£4.5m)

Leeds United’s Jayden Bogle gave three assists and three goals the last time he played in the Premier League, in the 2023/24 season. The right-back thrived in the Championship last season with six goals and five assists.

Trai Hume – Sunderland (£4.5m)

Trai Hume is nailed at right-back for the newly promoted Sunderland. He was a pivotal attacking option for the side in the Championship last season. He played 47 of the 49 games for Sunderland last season, contributing three goals and six assists. He also led the defensive charts with 128 successful tackles, making him an attractive option with the new Defensive Contributions points.