<div class="mp_wrapper">
            <div class="mepr-unauthorized-excerpt">
            <p>Who are the best FPL defenders for Gameweek 3?</p>
<p>Four-time top 1k and six-time top 5k finisher <a href="https://twitter.com/FPL_Salah">Abdul Rehman</a> uses the Hub's <a href="http://fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/">Opta</a>, <a href="http://fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/predictions/">Prediction</a>, <a href="http://fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fpl-player-comparision-tool/">Comparison</a> and <a href="http://fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fixture-ticker/">Fixture</a> tools to identify the best Fantasy Premier League defenders for Gameweek 3.</p>
<p>Don’t forget to check out our <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fantasy-premier-league-ultimate-guide-fpl-tips">Ultimate FPL Gameweek 3 Guide</a>, which has everything you need to make the best decisions ahead of the deadline.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/my-team"><strong>Get a personalised rating for your FPL squad and see how many points it could score each gameweek with our brand new My Team feature.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>By the way, if you <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/join">join Fantasy Football Hub today</a>, you’ll get 50% off and your money back if you don’t win your FPL mini-league. No, seriously. <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/terms-and-conditions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Terms apply</a>.<br />
</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Other articles in this series...<br />
<strong>Best FPL players for Gameweek 3: <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/best-fpl-players-for-gameweek-3-top-5-best-midfielders/">Midfielders</a> | <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/best-fpl-players-for-gameweek-3-top-5-best-forwards/">Forwards</a></strong></p>
<h2></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Best FPL Defenders for Gameweek 3</h2>
<h3><strong><br />
Reece James (£6.0m) – Chelsea</strong></h3>
<p><strong>Fixture: Leeds United (a)</strong></p>
<p><strong>Reece James</strong> has had a good start to the season, keeping one clean sheet and scoring a goal in his first two games. He has an <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/a-simple-guide-to-opta-stats-for-fpl/">expected goals (xG)</a> of 0.5 and created four chances with an xA 0.6.</p>
<p>He also has the highest xGi (expected goal involvement) amongst all Chelsea players.</p>
<p>Last season, in 22 starts he scored five goals (first among defenders) and nine assists (third) with an xG of 2.99 and an xA of 5.92.</p>
<p>If he manages to stay fit, he will be a must-have asset, especially at his price.</p>
<p>Chelsea have a decent fixture in Gameweek 3 as they take on Leeds United.  The Blues kept 16 clean sheets (third) last season, conceding only 33 goals (third) with an xGC of 39.4 (3rd). I don’t see why they can’t get similar numbers again this season.</p>
<p>James’ attacking threat coupled with Chelsea’s resolute defence makes him one of the best defenders in the game. The bookmakers also have the Blues as the fourth favourites (44%) to keep a clean sheet in Gameweek 3.</p>
<p>James is also the second highest predicted scoring defender (5.5 points) for Gameweek 3 according to our<strong> <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/predictions">Points Prediction Tool.</a></strong></p>
<p><img class="aligncenter wp-image-48463 size-full" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Reece-James-Stats-1.jpg" alt="Reece James Stats. Best defenders gameweek 3" width="800" height="650" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<h3><strong>Joao Cancelo (£7.0m) – Manchester City</strong></h3>
<p><strong>Fixture: Newcastle United (a)</strong></p>
<p><strong>Joao Cancelo</strong> has got off to a good start this season and so have Manchester City.  They have kept two clean sheets out of two, and the Portuguese has already registered one assist and four bonus points.</p>
<p>City’s defence looks as solid as ever, and Cancelo looks good value at £7.0m – an underpriced asset in my opinion.</p>
<p>They come up against Newcastle United away in Gameweek 3 which isn't the simplest game on paper. But City just don’t look like conceding any goals right now and Cancelo can get attacking returns easily too.</p>
<p>Last season the Citizens kept 21 clean sheets (first), conceding 26 goals (first) with an xGC of 29.5 (first) and I am confident they will trump all in these metrics again this term.</p>
<p>I can also no doubt see Cancelo being in the top three scoring defenders for the season. He has both attacking and defensive points in him almost every Gameweek.</p>
<p>City are the third favourites to keep a clean sheet (48%) despite an away fixture.</p>
<p>Our <strong><a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/predictions">Points Prediction Tool</a></strong> ranks the full-back as the third highest predicted scoring defender (5.1 points) for Gameweek 3.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter wp-image-48464 size-full" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Joao-Cancelo-Stats-2.jpg" alt="Joao Cancelo Stats. top 5 best defenders gw3" width="795" height="649" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><strong>Oleksander Zinchenko (£5.2m) – Arsenal</strong></h3>
<p><strong>Fixture: Bournemouth (a)</strong></p>
<p>The Ukrainian has one assist so far this season, and a clean sheet. He has started the first two games and has been by far the most advanced of the Arsenal defenders.</p>
<p>He has pretty much been playing on the left side of midfield if we look at his average position maps.</p>
<p>If this carries on, and I don’t see any reason why it won't in the imminent future, then he will get a fair amount of attacking returns.</p>
<p>The Gunners have a very nice fixture in Gameweek 3 from both a defensive and offensive standpoint. They play Bournemouth and will be strong favourites to score a few in this one. Oleksandr Zinchenko will have ample opportunity here for returns at both ends of the pitch.</p>
<p>Mikel Arteta’s men have a good defence and will probably be in the top five at the end of the season. They kept 13 clean sheets last season, conceding 48 goals (7th) with an xGC of 50 (6th).</p>
<p>Also, the bookmakers have them as the favourites to keep a clean sheet in Gameweek 2 at 52%.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter wp-image-48465 size-full" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Oleksandr-Zinchenko-Stats.jpg" alt="Oleksandr Zinchenko Stats. best defenders fpl tips" width="797" height="650" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<h3><strong>James Justin (£4.5m) – Leicester City</strong></h3>
<p><strong>Fixture: Southampton (H)</strong></p>
<p><strong>James Justin</strong> already has an assist to his name this season, and in his first two games was the most advanced of the Leicester City defenders</p>
<p>This attacking threat at a low price point has made him somewhat a cult hero amongst FPL managers.</p>
<p>Justin was also injured for most of last season. He suffered a cruciate ligament rupture and only made his first appearance in Gameweek 17, and had a pretty stop-start season thereafter.</p>
<p>He scored two goals and two assists in the 2020/21 season, with xG of 1.53 and an expected assists (xA) of 2.53.</p>
<p>He is very attacking, and can play both left and right-back and seems to be fully fit now.</p>
<p>I think he is the best option from the Leicester defence as he offers the most attacking threat overall.</p>
<p>The Foxes were poor at the back last season and don’t seem to have done anything to rectify that conceding six goals in the first two games. However, they have a plum fixture in Gameweek 3 as they welcome Southampton to the King Power Stadium.</p>
<p>The Saints scored just 43 goals (sixteenth) last season with an xG of 52.1 (10<sup>th</sup>). With Armando Broja back at Chelsea after his loan spell, it’s hard to see them improving on these numbers.</p>
<p>Justin will have opportunities for both attacking and defensive returns in this game and Leicester won't get many better fixtures this season.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter wp-image-48466 size-full" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/James-Justin-Stats.jpg" alt="James Justin Stats. best budget defenders gameweek 3" width="798" height="650" /></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<h3><strong>Ivan Perišić (£5.4m) – Spurs</strong></h3>
<p><strong>Fixture: Wolves (H)</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ivan Perišić</strong> has started on the bench in his first two games for Spurs. Antonio Conte has stated that he is not yet up to full speed, but he could well be due a start in Gameweek 3.</p>
<p>He came on for 11 minutes against Chelsea and got the assist for the <strong>Harry Kane (£11.4m) </strong>goal, and we already know how good his attacking stats are. He managed a very impressive eight goals and seven assists for Inter Milan last season, and has averaged 0.23 goals per 90 over the last few seasons.</p>
<p>Tottenham Hotspur come up against Wolves in Gameweek 3 in what looks like a fantastic fixture defensively. Bruno Lage’s men don’t score many goals – they scored 38 (eighteenth) last season with an xG of 44.23 (seventeenth).</p>
<p>Also with their main goalscorer Raul Jimenez (£6.9m) out of action, they will struggle again, especially against a solid defence like Tottenham's.</p>
<p>If Perišić starts this game he will be the best defensive option for this week no doubt. We should be able to get a much better indication of whether he does or not after Conte’s press conference later in the week.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter wp-image-48467 size-full" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Ivan-Perisic-Stats.jpg" alt="Ivan Perišić Stats. gameweek 3 fpl tips" width="801" height="649" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2></h2>
<h2><strong>Hub Power Rankings</strong></h2>
<p>To conclude, I will rank these Gameweek 3 defenders in accordance with our Power Rankings for Hub members.</p>
<h3>Best FPL defenders for Gameweek 3</h3>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
        </div>
                <div class="mepr-unauthorized-message">
            <div class="freetrial-banner update_2021">
<div class="banner-teaser-font">7 DAY FREE TRIAL</div>
<div class="large-font">Unlock our Power Rankings!</div>
<div class="desktop-trial-text">
<div class="standard-font">Join the Hub</div>
</div>
<p><button><a style="color: white; text-decoration: none;" href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/join/">Subscribe Now</a><br />
</button></p>
<div class="banner_trial_member_text">Already a member? <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/login/">Log in</a></div>
</div>
<p><iframe title="Main_LONG.mp4" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/579320338?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
        </div>
                <div class="mepr-login-form-wrap">
                            <span class="mepr-login-link"><a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/login/">Login</a></span>
                    </div>
    </div>



Best FPL players for Gameweek 3: Top 5 best defenders

Your mini-leagues aren't over

Community & tools