Best Attacking Defenders in FPL 2026/27: GW1 Picks, Bargains & Out-of-Position Defenders

Introduction

Building an FPL defence used to be fairly simple.

Find the teams most likely to keep clean sheets, pick their cheapest nailed defender and move on.

That approach can still work, but it can also mean ignoring some of the most exciting defenders in Fantasy Premier League.

For FPL Gameweek 1 in 2026/27, there are defenders offering far more than clean-sheet potential. We have wing-backs effectively playing as attackers, full-backs appearing on the wing and even players classified as FPL defenders who could spend significant periods of matches in the opposition penalty area.

And one player in particular may have discovered the ultimate FPL loophole.

Trai Hume is a £4.5m FPL defender who has been playing on Sunderland's right wing.

That deserves attention.

In this guide, we'll look at:

• The best attacking defenders in FPL 2026/27
• The best balanced defenders for your GW1 squad
• The best cheap £4.0m and £4.5m attacking defenders
• Defenders who could play further forward
• The best out-of-position FPL defenders
• Which attacking defenders offer the best value for Gameweek 1

For a wider minutes, value and DefCon comparison, see the best FPL defenders at every price.

What Makes a Good Attacking Defender in FPL?

An attacking defender has more ways to score points.

A conventional centre-back may rely heavily on clean sheets, defensive contributions, bonus points and the occasional set-piece goal.

An attacking full-back or wing-back can potentially add:

• Goals
• Assists
• Chances created
• Bonus points
• Clean sheets
• Defensive contribution points

An out-of-position defender potentially takes this even further.

If FPL classifies a player as a defender but his real-life manager uses him as a winger, that player can effectively offer the attacking opportunity of a midfielder while retaining the FPL scoring benefits associated with being a defender.

It doesn't automatically make them a great pick.

Minutes, fixtures, rotation and the quality of the player's team still matter.

But when the role is genuine, these are exactly the players we want to identify before everyone else does.

Daniel Muñoz – Crystal Palace – £5.5m

FPL Assistant verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Daniel Muñoz remains almost the definition of an attacking FPL defender.

Rather than operating as a conservative right-back, his wing-back role regularly allows him to arrive in attacking areas.

Palace have been working with a back-three structure during pre-season, which is important from an FPL perspective because it can release Muñoz further forward.

He isn't technically an out-of-position player.

He's still a defender playing as a wing-back.

But there will be plenty of occasions where his average position resembles that of a wide midfielder.

Why we like him

Attacking potential: Excellent Expected minutes: Strong Clean-sheet potential: Reasonable Price: Mid-premium Rotation concern: Relatively low

At £5.5m, Muñoz is expensive enough that you need more than the occasional assist.

But his combination of defensive points and genuine attacking involvement makes him one of the strongest all-round attacking defenders available.

FPL Assistant rating

Attack: 9/10 Security: 9/10 Value: 9/10

Verdict: One of the best attacking defenders for a GW1 FPL squad.

Rayan Aït-Nouri – Manchester City – £5.5m

FPL Assistant verdict: 🚨 OOP ALERT

Now things get interesting.

Rayan Aït-Nouri is listed as a defender in FPL.

Manchester City, however, have been using him on the left wing during pre-season.

He has also scored twice from that advanced role.

Fantasy Football Scout reported again on 10 August that Aït-Nouri came from the bench as a winger against Atlético and scored.

That's exactly the type of information FPL managers should be looking for before Gameweek 1.

If Aït-Nouri starts Premier League matches as part of City's attacking line while remaining classified as a defender, his potential ceiling becomes enormous.

There is, however, a massive word of warning.

Manchester City rotation

Being capable of playing on the wing doesn't guarantee Aït-Nouri will start there every week.

City have numerous attacking options, while Josko Gvardiol has been starting in defence during pre-season.

So this is a classic high-risk, high-reward FPL pick.

FPL Assistant rating

Attack: 10/10 Security: 6/10 Value: 9/10

Verdict: Potentially one of the highest-ceiling defenders in FPL, but don't confuse an exciting pre-season role with guaranteed Premier League minutes.

Milos Kerkez – Liverpool – £5.5m

Kerkez doesn't need to become a winger to have major attacking potential.

He is naturally aggressive, comfortable getting high up the pitch and capable of attacking the box as well as creating chances.

For managers looking for an attacking defender without relying completely on an experimental out-of-position role, this type of player can offer a much better balance.

Why he interests us

At £5.5m, you are buying into:

• Attacking full-back potential
• A strong team
• Clean-sheet opportunities
• Goal and assist upside

That combination is important.

A defender who gets forward but plays for a poor defensive side can become frustrating.

A defender capable of producing attacking returns and collecting clean sheets gives you multiple routes to points.

FPL Assistant rating

Attack: 9/10 Security: 8/10 Value: 9/10

Verdict: One of the strongest balanced attacking-defender profiles.

Check the predicted starting XIs before assuming an attacking role will be available from Gameweek 1.

Gabriel – Arsenal – £8.0m

Not every attacking defender needs to be flying down the wing.

Gabriel provides attacking threat in a completely different way.

He scored three times and provided five assists in 2025/26, alongside Arsenal's defensive returns, on his way to 209 FPL points.

His threat comes heavily from dead-ball situations.

That means you're not relying on him overlapping or playing as a wing-back.

When Arsenal win corners and attacking free-kicks, Gabriel can effectively become another striker inside the box.

The issue is obvious.

£8.0m is a huge amount of your FPL budget to spend on one defender.

FPL Assistant rating

Attack: 8/10 Security: 10/10 Value: 6/10

Verdict: Possibly the safest premium defender, but the price forces compromises elsewhere.

Return to the FPL Gameweek 1 hub after comparing attacking roles so the final squad still has secure minutes.

Best Balanced Attacking Defenders

Sometimes the best FPL pick isn't the defender with the highest attacking ceiling.

It's the player who gives you the best mixture of:

Price + starts + clean sheets + attacking threat.

These are the players we like when building a balanced GW1 squad.

Compare these attacking options with the best £4.5m defenders before committing your budget.

Neco Williams – Nottingham Forest – £5.0m

Nottingham Forest's wing-back system immediately makes Neco Williams interesting.

Under a three-at-the-back shape, wing-backs can become major attacking outlets rather than conventional defenders.

Premier League pre-season analysis has specifically highlighted the increased attacking responsibility being given to Forest's wing-backs.

At £5.0m, Williams sits in a useful middle ground.

He's cheaper than the premium defenders but still offers a realistic route to attacking returns.

FPL Assistant rating

Attack: 8/10 Security: 8/10 Value: 8/10

Verdict: A strong option for managers who don't want to spend £5.5m+ across their defence.

Ola Aina – Nottingham Forest – £4.5m

Aina may offer an even easier route into the same system.

At £4.5m, the financial risk is lower and an advanced wing-back role provides something many defenders at this price simply don't have.

That £0.5m saving matters when you're trying to squeeze premium attackers into a Gameweek 1 squad.

FPL Assistant rating

Attack: 7/10 Security: 8/10 Value: 9/10

Verdict: An interesting £4.5m route into an attacking wing-back system.

Ryan Sessegnon – Fulham – £4.5m

Sessegnon is one of the more unusual defenders available this season.

He was previously classified as a midfielder but has been switched to DEF for FPL 2026/27.

That's immediately worth investigating because Sessegnon's instincts have always been attacking.

He isn't currently our strongest genuine OOP candidate because pre-season evidence has mainly involved him playing from full-back rather than permanently joining Fulham's attack.

But his history and attacking instincts make him far more interesting than a conventional £4.5m defender.

FPL Assistant rating

Attack: 8/10 Security: 7/10 Value: 9/10

Verdict: A defender with the instincts of a midfielder. Definitely one for the watchlist.

Best Cheap Attacking Defenders in FPL 2026/27

This is where smart FPL squad building becomes important.

The official FPL game has priced all defenders from the promoted clubs at £4.0m, creating some unusually interesting budget options.

A £4.0m defender doesn't need to become the highest-scoring defender in the game.

We simply need:

Regular starts + attacking threat + occasional returns.

Find that and you've potentially saved £1.0m-£2.0m that can be spent in midfield or attack.

The best £4.0m defenders provide another route to preserve money for premium attackers.

Milan van Ewijk – Coventry – £4.0m

FPL Assistant bargain rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

This is exactly what we want from a £4.0m defender.

Van Ewijk produced eight assists in the Championship last season while starting 43 of Coventry's 44 matches.

That matters.

We're not looking at a centre-back who happened to score from two corners.

We're looking at a full-back with evidence of sustained attacking output.

For just £4.0m.

Why he could be important for GW1 drafts

The biggest premium players eat enormous chunks of your £100m budget.

Having a cheap defender who could genuinely contribute points rather than simply occupying your third bench position gives your squad far more flexibility.

FPL Assistant rating

Attack: 8/10 Security: 9/10 Value: 10/10

Verdict: One of our favourite £4.0m FPL defenders.

Leif Davis – Ipswich – £4.0m

Leif Davis is another player whose natural instinct is to attack.

And his pre-season has only increased the interest.

Davis scored twice from left-back in Ipswich's 3-0 pre-season win over Rayo Vallecano.

That doesn't mean we should expect goals every week.

But it tells us he's willing and able to get into dangerous areas.

At £4.0m, attacking returns become incredibly valuable.

FPL Assistant rating

Attack: 9/10 Security: 8/10 Value: 10/10

Verdict: Huge attacking upside for the minimum defender price.

Bobby Thomas – Coventry – £4.0m

Bobby Thomas offers another route to attacking returns.

Unlike Van Ewijk, the threat isn't mainly about bombing down the touchline.

Thomas produced three goals and four assists from centre-back during Coventry's Championship campaign.

That makes him interesting from set pieces while his defensive workload could also help him collect defensive-contribution points.

He isn't as exciting visually as an attacking full-back.

But FPL points don't care what the goal looks like.

Verdict

Van Ewijk is our preferred attacking Coventry defender, but Thomas is absolutely worth monitoring.

The FPL Cheat Codes: Out-of-Position Defenders

Now we get to the fun part.

Every season, FPL managers search for players who are classified in one position but regularly play further forward.

They're usually referred to as:

OOP players — Out Of Position.

A midfielder playing striker can be valuable.

But a defender playing winger is even more interesting.

And heading into FPL Gameweek 1, one player stands above the rest.

The Most Interesting OOP Defender Before GW1?

Trai Hume is officially an FPL defender.

Sunderland have been repeatedly using him further forward on the right flank during pre-season.

And this isn't just a theoretical tactical possibility.

It's happening.

Fantasy Football Scout reported on 10 August that Hume was again deployed further up Sunderland's right side against Lens.

He hit the crossbar.

Then he scored Sunderland's opening goal.

All while remaining classified as a £4.5m FPL defender.

He had already been used ahead of Nordi Mukiele on the right flank earlier in pre-season, continuing an out-of-position role that Sunderland also used towards the end of last season.

That is not normal £4.5m-defender behaviour.

Why Hume's Position Matters

Imagine two players occupying broadly similar attacking areas.

One is classified as a midfielder.

The other is classified as a defender.

The defender has access to defender scoring benefits while still potentially receiving similar attacking opportunities.

That's the attraction.

If Hume genuinely begins Gameweek 1 on the wing, you are potentially getting:

A £4.5m defender playing in midfield/attack.

That's exactly the kind of FPL pricing anomaly we want to find.

Is Trai Hume Nailed as a Winger?

No.

And this is important.

We're not going to pretend something is certain simply because it makes a better headline.

Sunderland have defensive options who can allow Hume to move forward, but tactical setups can change.

His role may also involve dropping back when Sunderland's right-back advances. Fantasy Football Scout noted this tactical responsibility even while describing his OOP appeal.

So the question isn't:

“Is Hume permanently a winger now?”

The better question is:

“Will Hume start enough matches in an advanced position to make £4.5m exceptional value?”

Right now, the answer is:

Possibly — and that makes him one of the most important defenders to monitor before the GW1 deadline.

FPL Assistant rating

Attack: 9/10 OOP potential: 10/10 Security of advanced role: 7/10 Value: 10/10

FPL Assistant verdict

Our favourite OOP defender to monitor before Gameweek 1.

Rayan Aït-Nouri – Another OOP Defender?

Aït-Nouri deserves to sit immediately below Hume.

The important difference is price and certainty.

At £5.5m, Aït-Nouri costs £1.0m more.

Manchester City have used him at left wing throughout pre-season and he has scored from the role.

That arguably gives him an even higher ceiling than Hume.

But City also have far more competition.

Therefore:

Trai Hume

Cheaper + potentially more secure

Rayan Aït-Nouri

Better team + potentially higher ceiling + greater rotation risk

That's the real decision.

Wing-Back Does NOT Automatically Mean OOP

This is something worth clearing up.

You'll regularly see attacking defenders described as out of position when they're actually just attacking wing-backs.

There is a difference.

Daniel Muñoz

Wing-back.

Very attacking.

Excellent FPL option.

Not truly OOP.

Neco Williams

Wing-back.

Advanced position.

Potential attacking returns.

Not truly OOP.

Rayan Aït-Nouri

FPL defender being used at left wing.

Genuine OOP potential.

Trai Hume

FPL defender being deployed further up Sunderland's right flank.

Genuine OOP potential.

That distinction matters when we're evaluating upside.

Best Attacking Defenders for FPL GW1 – Our Shortlist

🥇 Best Attacking Defender Overall

Daniel Muñoz – £5.5m

The strongest combination of attacking involvement, role security and reasonable price.

⚖️ Best Balanced Attacking Defender

Milos Kerkez – £5.5m

Attacking potential without relying entirely on a speculative out-of-position role.

💰 Best £4.0m Attacking Defender

Milan van Ewijk – £4.0m

Eight assists last season and minimum FPL pricing make him extremely difficult to ignore.

🚀 Highest Ceiling

Rayan Aït-Nouri – £5.5m

A defender playing left wing for Manchester City could be absurd.

The only question is how often he'll actually do it.

🚨 Best Out-of-Position Defender

Trai Hume – £4.5m

This is the one we're watching most closely.

A £4.5m defender repeatedly appearing on the right wing and already scoring from that position in pre-season has serious FPL potential.

If the role survives into competitive matches, Hume could quickly become one of the most talked-about budget defenders in FPL.

Should You Start FPL 2026/27 With an Attacking Defender?

Yes — but don't fill your defence with speculative punts.

Our preferred strategy is a mixture.

You want some defenders whose points are supported by reliable minutes and good defensive teams.

Then you can use one or two squad positions to chase attacking upside.

Something like:

Reliable premium/balanced defender

*

Attacking £4.5m defender

*

£4.0m value defender

can give you far more flexibility than blindly spending £25m+ across five defenders.

And remember:

You're building a squad for the opening Gameweeks, not committing to these players until May.

FPL managers can continue making unlimited transfers until the Gameweek 1 deadline at 18:30 BST on Friday 21 August 2026.

Use the remaining pre-season matches and team news.

Roles can change quickly.

Use the best opening fixtures to check whether attacking upside is supported by a workable Gameweek 1 schedule.

Final Thoughts

Clean sheets matter.

But they don't have to be the only reason you select a defender.

An attacking defender can turn a routine two-point appearance into an eight, nine or ten-point return with one attacking contribution.

And an out-of-position defender can offer something even more valuable.

Heading into FPL Gameweek 1, we're particularly interested in:

Daniel Muñoz for overall attacking potential.

Milos Kerkez for balance.

Milan van Ewijk for £4.0m value.

Rayan Aït-Nouri for enormous upside.

And above all:

🚨 Trai Hume.

If Sunderland continue to use their £4.5m FPL defender on the wing, he could be exactly the type of early-season bargain managers spend weeks wishing they'd spotted sooner.

Keep watching the role.

Not Sure Which Defenders Fit Your Team?

The best defender isn't necessarily the player who scores the most points.

It's the defender who fits your budget, formation and squad structure.

Use FPL Assistant's Rate My Team tool to analyse your squad, identify weak positions and see where your money could be better spent before the Gameweek 1 deadline.

Build smarter. Don't just follow ownership.