Draft Primer with Player Rankings: Defenders

Defenders

Defenders in a draft style league are a weird conundrum. You must have them, but they do not always produce as much. Sometimes a defender is worth taking early because their floor is higher enough to justify beating out a midfielder, but normally these are the players you fill in at the end with whoever is available. Waiting will lower your floor at the position, but it’s a much smaller drop off from the 10^th to the 30th defender than it is from the 10^th or 30^th midfielder selected.

Get your other players first, but don’t let the special defenders go. When they play out of position and/or get involved offensively, their value goes up. If you find a Penalty or Set Piece taker, you’ve hit the jackpot.

Defender Rankings

1. Walker Zimmerman, NSH
2. Ryan Hollingshead, FCD
3. Lalas Abubakar, COL
4. Jonathan Mensah, CLB
5. Romain Metanire, MNU
6. Keegan Rosenberry, COL
7. Yeimar Gomez Andrade, SEA
8. Kai Wagner, PHI
9. Anton Tinnerholm, NYC
10. Donovan Pines, DCU
11. Harrison Afful, CLB
12. Brooks Lennon, ATL
13. Richie Laryea, TFC
14. Joevin Jones, MIA
15. Frederic Brillant, DCU
16. Nick Lima, ATX
17. Florian Jungwirth, SJ
18. Francisco Calvo, CHI
19. Kyle Duncan, NYRB
20. Larrys Mabiala, POR
21. Sam Vines, COL
22. Aaron Long, NYRB
23. Tim Parker, HOU
24. Andrew Farrell, NER
25. Aaron Herrera, RSL

Ike Opara does not make this list due to injury. He would be 3^rd overall if he was healthy.