Defenders (Analysis)

Which defenders to choose for your fantasy team? In the previous post we had a look at the best Goalkeepers, now it is time to analyze the defenders. Most fantasy managers tend to spend more on forwards, so it is very helpful to choose a couple of the cheaper defenders - for example 3 expensive and 2 cheaper options. Let us look at the teams which are the most likely to keep a clean sheet in the Last 16 round of matches.

1. Real Madrid (vs. Schalke 04)

As already mentioned in the Goalkeepers analysis in the previous post, Real Madrid have shown a big improvement in defence and since they play Schalke, they look strong to keep at least one clean sheet in their matchup. Their highest scorer in this Champions league season is Pepe (6.0) who looks to be a standard choice in Ancelotti's starting lineup. The other option at CB is the more expensive Sergio Ramos (6.5) who is also a threat to score from set pieces. However, the stand out option for your fantasy team has to be Marcelo (5.0) for his price and huge attacking threat - he has the freedom to go forward from his left-back position and combine with Cristiano Ronaldo on the left wing. The right-back position is a bit of a risk, as one cannot be sure who will play - the experienced Alvaro Arbeloa (5.5) or the young, price-friendly Daniel Carvajal (4.0) as they share game time almost equally.

2. Borussia Dortmund (vs. Zenit St. Petersburg)

Their defence seemed a little shaky for most of the season, but that was mostly because of many injury problems. Neven Subotic is still out for the season, but Mats Hummels (6.5) and Sokratis Papastathopoulos (5.5) form a strong centre-back partnership. Lukas Piszczek (6.0) and Marcel Schmelzer (6.5) have also returned from injuries and are getting into good form. Playing against Zenit, you cannot go wrong by selecting a BVB defender to your fantasy team.

3. Chelsea (vs. Galatasaray)

Jose Mourinho has found his preferred defence, lead by captain John Terry (6.0). His centre-back partner is Gary Cahill (5.5), who is also very dangerous from set-pieces. The defender that offers the most attacking potential is Branislav Ivanovic (6.0) as he keeps getting into attacking positions and is putting crosses into the box. The last member of the standard Chelsea defence is Cesar Azpilicueta (4.5) who is the cheapest of the bunch, since he became a regular starter before Ashley Cole at left-back. there is, however, another option - David Luiz (6.0) - who has moved from centre-back to a position in defensive midfield and is also very dangerous as he takes some free-kicks.

4. Bayern (vs. Arsenal)

As they have shown last season against Barcelona, they are always capable of keeping a clean sheet no matter who their opponents are. David Alaba (6.0) was the star performer in the group stage, scoring twice and providing one assist. The standard centre-backs are Dante (6.5) and Jerome Boateng (5.5). Captain Phillip Lahm (7.0) is also a great choice, although he does not get as many assists as last season, he is now playing in midfield, but could move back to his right-back position at the expense of Rafinha (5.0) after the return of Bastian Schweinsteiger.

5. PSG (vs. Bayer Leverkusen)

If everybody stays injury-free, their standard formation at the back is Thiago Silva (7.0) and Alex (6.0) at centre-back, with Gregory van der Wiel (5.5) and Maxwell (5.5) either side at wing-back.

Other options:

- Miranda (5.5)
- Gerard Pique (7.0)
- Kostas Manolas (4.0)
- Per Mertesacker (5.5)
- Diego Godin (5.5)
- Patrice Evra (6.5)
- Vincent Kompany (6.5)
- Rafael (5.5)
- Jordi Alba (6.5)
- Adil Rami (4.5)

Who will you choose?