Virgil van Dijk

van Dijk remains the rock at the heart of Liverpool's defense, playing every minute of all 38 Premier League games in 2025/26 while chipping in six goals from set pieces to go with 10 clean sheets and a huge career high 275 clearances. That mix of goal threat, shutouts and elite defensive volume makes him one of the most complete fantasy defenders in the league, and he never misses a game. The Netherlands went out in the Round of 32, so he returns from the World Cup without a deep tournament run and its fatigue. Under new manager Andoni Iraola, the system may shift, but his status as captain and first-choice center back is untouchable. He is a premium, set-and-forget pick at the back, with the clean-sheet ceiling of a top-four side and the rare goal upside of a genuine aerial threat.