Best Defensive players by Season Rating in League One 26/27

The best defensive players in League One in 26/27, ranked on Field Insider.

Best defensive goalkeepers in League One Best defensive defenders in League One Best defensive midfielders in League One Best defensive attackers in League One Best players in League One Most in-form players in League One

At a glance

S. Thomas of Huddersfield is the standout for raw talent across players in League One, with a Field Insider Rating of 63.2, and Tom Iorpenda has been the form player this season, grading 44.5, and C. Stead leads the scoring with 13 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: A. Charles has improved his Season rating most, up +24.8 on last season, while S. Fusire's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +33.2 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, S. Thomas of Huddersfield is the most valuable name in this group at 18.5.

Sheffield Wednesday · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

A. Charles+24.8SsN

Bromley · 24/25→25/26

31 players · ranked by best defendersCustomise →

	Player	Team
1	I. Niskanen Full-back	Blackpool	28	35.2	35±0%	39±0%
2	J. Edwards Full-back	Plymouth	35	27.1	27±0%	15±0%
3	Harvey Araujo Centre-back	Burton Albion	21	26.4	2638.2%	353.6%
4	L. Macari Full-back	Notts County	24	26.3	264%	34±0%
5	B. Hills Centre-back	Stockport County	22	23.8	2431.5%	482.8%
6	A. Lewis Full-back	Mansfield Town	28	23.6	2451.3%	3216.8%
7	S. Roughan Full-back	Huddersfield	23	22.5	2338.5%	508%
8	T. Allen Centre-back	Wycombe	26	21.9	22±0%	41±0%
9	A. Hagelskjær Centre-back	Wycombe	29	21.5	22±0%	29±0%
10	M. Ihiekwe Centre-back	Blackpool	33	21.2	2155.9%	1548.6%
11	L. Sørensen Full-back	Huddersfield	26	21.1	2117.2%	443.9%
12	F. Kent Centre-back	Oxford United	30	20.3	2016%	2328.6%
13	F. Horsfall Centre-back	Blackpool	29	20	2021.3%	2828%
14	B. Cargill Full-back	Mansfield Town	31	19.9	2011.2%	2033.6%
15	M. Platt Centre-back	Notts County	28	18.9	1950.9%	2232.4%
16	M. Pearson Centre-back	Doncaster	33	18.3	18±0%	16±0%
17	J. Wright Centre-back	Bradford	31	18.2	18±0%	22±0%
18	R. McDonald Centre-back	Notts County	34	17.4	1745%	924.6%
19	B. Nelson Centre-back	Leicester	22	17.3	177.5%	612.3%
20	T. Mengi Centre-back	Luton	24	17	176.6%	4426.3%
21	J. Husband Full-back	Doncaster	32	14.7	15±0%	2431.8%
22	J. Lewis Centre-back	AFC Wimbledon	26	13.7	14±0%	38±0%
23	J. Shepherd Centre-back	Barnsley	25	11.9	1261.2%	4529.5%
24	W. Forrester Centre-back	Leyton Orient	25	11.5	12±0%	39±0%
25	J. Bowery Centre-back	Mansfield Town	35	11.4	1140.9%	947.7%
26	D. Butler Full-back	Stevenage	32	10.9	11±0%	1819.3%
27	T. Nixon Full-back	Doncaster	23	9.1	9203.3%	4035.6%
28	K. Abrefa Full-back	Reading	22	9.1	926%	442.4%
29	G. Leigh Centre-back	Oxford United	31	7.6	868.5%	2443.9%
30	C. Masterson Centre-back	Reading	28	4.6	5±0%	2313.1%
31	W. Faes Centre-back	Leicester	28	3.2	384.5%	3848.8%