The FPL budget seems near impossible to stay within this season with so many premium offensive options priced upwards of £8.5m. To help free up some cash to spend on your attack NaturalFootyFan has highlighted the best 4.5m defenders for Fantasy Premier League 2016/17. We've tried to include players who are guaranteed to start and pose some form of offensive threat, whether that be from bombing up the line and delivering crosses or joining the aerial attack for set-piece situations. A popular tactic for FPL defences is to pair two premium defenders with three budget options who will likely rotate. With this in mind, we've highlighted 10 defenders from 10 different Premier League teams and ranked them in order of fixture difficulty (opening five gameweeks). 

The Best 4.5m Defenders For Fantasy Premier League:

Jonny Evans or Gareth McAuley (WBA) Opening Fixtures vs. cry, EVE, MID, bou, WHU It's a difficult decision between Gareth McAuley and Jonny Evans for our West Brom slot. The Northern Ireland pairing are very consistent performers in FPL and last season secured a total of 97 and 96 points respectively. Many will argue that the former offers more of a goal-threat, which is a viable argument with nine goals in his 158 Premier League appearances to Jonny Evans five in 176 outings. However, Evans tendency to pick up bonus-points bags him brownie points of his own, with 11 to McAuley's five, despite playing 470 minutes less. Despite entering his twilight years at the ripe old age of 36, McAuley seems to be getting stronger and stronger every year, while Jonny Evans has developed massively since parting ways with United. Both players are excellent choices, especially with Tony Pulis' conservative approach, so take your pick. George Friend (MID) Opening Fixtures vs. STK, sun, wba, CRY, eve The long-time Boro fullback is an exciting prospect for FPL, with his attacking exploits combined with an unwavering consistency. At this price, and being a nailed on starter for a Middlesbrough side who conceded just 31 times in 46 matches last season, Friend is perhaps your best option in the 4.5m bracket. In terms of being an offensive threat, he racked up six assists for his club last season, while attempting an average of 1.3 dribbles per game. The 28-year-old could also be handy for defensively won bonus points, with an average of 2.3 tackles and 2.5 interceptions per game in the Championship last season. Pape Souare (CRY) Opening Fixtures vs. WBA, tot, BOU, mid, STO Having looked very sketchy during the first half of the 2015/16 campaign, Souare managed to turn the tables following the Christmas period. He became an integral part of the starting XI and formed an effective left-wing partnership with Yannick Bolasie. The Senegalese International is the only expected starter in the Palace back line for 4.5m, and while he's susceptible to the odd yellow card now and again (six last season), Souare loves to whip a ball in. Another positive of backing him is the arrival of James Tomkins and Steve Mandanda to Selhurst Park. This pair, especially the vastly experienced goalkeeper, will help to tighten things up and improve Souare's chances of a clean sheet. Neil Taylor (SWA) Opening Fixtures vs. bur, HUL, lei, CHE, sou Following a hugely successful Euros experience, the Welshman links up with his Swansea team mates for their sixth Premier League season in succession. Like many players who featured in Euro 2016, there's a small chance that Taylor will miss the first match of the season, but having impressed and even scored for his country last month, Francesco Guidolin will be desperate to get him back. Having managed in the Italian leagues extensively since 1986, Guidolin offers a sound understanding of the tactical side of the game, which further improves Taylor's outlook. There's been talk of Stephen Kingsley providing strong competition for the left-back slot, but Taylor's experience in the top flight (67 appearances in last two seasons) makes him the favourite to hold down the position. Erik Pieters (STO) Opening Fixtures vs. mid, MCI, eve, TOT, cry Stoke have always loved a physical, old-fashioned defender and Pieters fits the bill perfectly. With this in mind, it's not surprising that the Dutchman has adapted to Premier League life with ease. The fullback is a mainstay in Mark Hughes' defence with 102 appearances over the last three seasons. He's also scored effectively in FPL, with over 84 points in every one of these campaigns - contributing with six assists in the process. The Potters have been experimenting with a 5-3-2 / 3-5-2 formation in the early stages of pre-season, so Pieters could potentially be playing more advanced than previous seasons. Ben Mee (BUR) Opening Fixtures vs. SWA, LIV, che, HUL, lei Burnley's success in the Championship last season was built upon a sturdy backline, one of which being Ben Mee. He never missed a match, scored twice and won a couple of Man of the Match awards - a very substantial player in this price bracket. Sean Dyche's men banked 12 clean sheets on home soil in the Championship last season, so with three of their opening five fixtures at Turf Moor, their number one aim will be to shut teams down during the early stages of the competition. It's worth noting that Ben Mee is a card magnet, accumulating 25 yellows during the last three seasons. Andrew Robertson (HUL) Opening Fixtures vs. LEI, swa, MUN, bur, ARS Robertson is the type of player who will run up and down the wing all day long. He's technically limited, but is a dangerous crosser of the ball - in all honesty, charging down the wing and crossing it in is pretty much all he does. Hull have a mixed bunched of fixtures, with more favourable trips to Swansea and Burnley sandwiched between tough home encounters versus Leicester, Man United and Arsenal. With this in mind, we recommend staying away from their defence in the opening weeks. Craig Cathcart (WAT) Opening Fixtures vs. sou, CHE, ARS, whu, MUN Before we even start to talk about Craig Cathcart, just look at those fixtures! Watford fans will have had their heads in their hands when the fixture lists were announced, as they could lose a lot of ground within the first five weeks. The man in question is your best chance for a goal from a freekick or corner - he contributed with three goals and two assists in the 2014/15 Championship season. Nevertheless, taking the fixtures into consideration, and the fact we can't see them keeping a clean sheet in any of the above, look elsewhere for defensive coverage. Simon Francis (BOU) Opening Fixtures vs. MUN, whm, cry, WBA, mci Like Watford, Eddie Howe's side have some difficult fixtures. Clean sheets will come at a premium, with the two Manchester clubs and West Ham away in their schedule. Simon Francis entered the 2015/16 campaign with a large FPL following having recorded eight assists in his previous Championship season, but after moving from right-back into the centre of defence, his attacking exploits have deteriorated. Lamine Kone (SUN) Opening Fixtures vs. mci, MID, sou, EVE, tot The big centre-back turned into a scoring machine during Sunderland's final home match of last season, hitting a brace to help his side escape the depths of relegation. This contribution rightly shocked the nation, however, Kone has proved a goal-threat in the past. The French-born Ivory Coast International has found the net in every season he has played since 2007/08.

Notable Mentions (4m):

Timothy Fosu-Mensah (MUN) This one is down to Jose Mourinho. Does he place faith in a hugely talented youngster or a 26-times capped Italy International. Darmain seems the go-to choice, but don't write off Fosu-Mensah too early. Brian Lenihan (HUL) Reports have suggested that Hull have just 13 first-team players fit at the moment. This opens the gates for endless opportunities in bargain areas, one of which being Brian Lenihan. We had never heard of him either, but with Moses Odubajo suffering knee ligament damage, Lenihan might be handed game-time. Stephen Kingsley (SWA) As we mentioned earlier, the young Scotsman will have the opportunity to impress during pre-season, if he does enough to steal the left-back role from Neil Taylor is yet to be confirmed. Marc Wilson (STO) With Stoke testing out some new formations during pre-season, and Ryan Shawcross' continuous struggles with injury, Marc Wilson could be deployed in one of the three centre-back slots in a 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 formation.

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