FPL tips: Liverpool defenders an FPL must thanks to favourable fixtures

Liverpool’s enviable run of fixtures in the coming weeks makes three of their defenders very appealing prospects ahead of gameweek 25.

That’s according to our Transfer Score at least, which combines form, cost, ownership and upcoming fixture difficulty rating (FDR) into one figure out of 100.

The result is a rough guide which hints at those players who could make useful FPL additions over the coming gameweeks – Reds players dominate the list when it comes to the defence.

The top scorer is Andrew Robertson – in and out of the side this term, the Scot is enjoying a fine run of form.

Robertson scores a whopping 90 overall on the Transfer Score, his form, ownership and fixtures all contributing.

The left-back has three assists in his last three fixtures as well as two clean sheets, returning 29 FPL points in that time for anyone who backed him.

His low ownership of 5.7 per cent however makes him a fine differential option, while his £7.1m price tag is reflective of his excellent pedigree as one of the league’s most creative wide men.

Virgil Van Dijk might not be the creative outlet his Scottish colleague is, but he offers rock solid reliability and a goal here or there.

The Dutchman scores 79 on our Transfer Score thanks to a goal and an assist in his last two games, while his £6.7m price tag makes him cheaper than Robertson.

One thing both have in common however is their upcoming fixture list – Liverpool face Burnley (a), Norwich (h) and Leeds (h) in their next three games.

All three games are ranked two out of five on the FPL’s Fixture Difficulty Rating system, while the Reds have five more wins than all three of their upcoming opponents combined.

Clean sheets and attacking returns from defence then are a real possibility throughout February, but if the aforementioned prospects are too expensive, consider Joel Matip.

The 30-year-old costs just £4.9m and is owned by just a small handful of bosses, contributing to his impressive Transfer Score of 79.

While Matip has scored just 74 FPL points this season, he ranks fifth for Threat scored among defenders and has played 90 minutes in nine of Liverpool’s last 10 games.

He doesn’t have much to show apart from the odd clean sheet, but Matip registered his first attacking return of the season in gameweek 24 with an assist against Leicester.

Any of these three Reds would make for promising additions given their next three games.