Sky Sports Fantasy Football bargain buys: Value Davinson Sanchez and Trent Alexander-Arnold

With less than two weeks to go until the new Premier League campaign kicks off, we crank up our pre-season preparations with five defensive bargains in Sky Sports Fantasy Football.

While most will be focusing on which stars they can cram in, protecting your budget while still picking up points at the back is crucial to fantasy fortunes coming your way.

With that in mind, 2016/17 Sky Sports Fantasy Football champion Dan Cox provides us five defenders priced at considerably less than the game's most expensive defender, Kyle Walker (£10.5m)...

Patrick van Aanholt (£7.6m)

Crystal Palace may have kept a modest nine clean sheets last season, but they boast one of the league's top defensive goal threats. The Dutch wing-back has scored 14 goals in 86 Premier League appearances, which is just under one every six games, including finding the net five times last season.

Despite his attacking threat, the Dutchman is actually priced at less than James Tomkins (£7.8m) and enjoys a favourable start, with only one top-six side in the Eagles' first nine games.

Davinson Sanchez (£8.7m)

If you want a route into one of the Premier League's best backlines, then Kieran Trippier appears to be the obvious option at £8.5m, with momentum from an impressive World Cup seeing him ranked as Sky Sports Fantasy Football's third most popular pick.

However, Mauricio Pochettino's preference with rotating his full-backs makes the right-back, who started just 21 games last season, a gamble as Serge Aurier shares the minutes. Having missed just two league games in 2018, including the 5-4 final-day farce against Leicester, Davinson Sanchez is a more sensible pick and costs £1.1m less than fellow centre-back Toby Alderweireld, who is odds-on to join Manchester United.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.4m)

Liverpool's defence has been one to steer clear of in recent seasons, but the additions of Virgil van Dijk (£9.9m) and then goalkeeper Alisson Becker (£7.3m) has made them a far more appealing prospect. The Reds recorded nine clean sheets from their last 14 outings as Trent Alexander-Arnold established himself as Jurgen Klopp's first-choice right-back.

While he may have to share some minutes with the versatile Joe Gomez (£8.2m), the bonus of his attacking threat should balance that gamble out and see him add to the solitary goal and assist from last season.

Matt Doherty (£6.5m)

Sky Sports Fantasy Football experts must have been licking their lips at the prospect of signing Barry Douglas for just £6.3m following the left-back's haul of five goals and 14 assists in Wolves' Sky Bet Championship winning campaign.

However, Leeds have beaten them to it and leave Matt Doherty, with four goals and four assists, as the next best option. Wolves' backline certainly looks the best investment of the new-promoted backlines after recording 24 clean sheets in their title triumph, while further investment sees bookmakers consider them mid-table fodder rather than relegation battlers this season.

Seamus Coleman (£8.3m)

Everton felt like a club in constant transition last season, dealing with the departure of their star man Romelu Lukuku, their manager Ronald Koeman and them the inevitable exit of Sam Allardyce, However, having finally got their man in Marco Silva and brought in further reinforcements, the Toffees should improve on a disappointing 2017/18.

Keeping the rapidly improving Jordan Pickford will be key to their defensive appeal, but Seamus Coleman also offers offensive threat, scoring 18 goals and assisting another 19 in his 218 Premier League appearances.