Most In-Form defenders in League One 26/27

The most in-form defenders in League One in 26/27, ranked on Field Insider.

Most in-form goalkeepers in League One Most in-form midfielders in League One Most in-form attackers in League One Best defenders in League One Top-scoring defenders in League One Most valuable defenders in League One

At a glance

B. Nelson of Leicester is the standout for raw talent across defenders in League One, with a Field Insider Rating of 60.5, and I. Niskanen has been the form player this season, grading 35.2, and L. Sørensen leads the scoring with 4 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: J. Edwards has improved his Season rating most, up +15.9 on last season, while T. Nixon's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +10.6 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, B. Hills of Stockport County is the most valuable name in this group at 14.6.

Doncaster · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

J. Edwards+15.9SsN

Plymouth · 24/25→25/26

31 players · ranked by best this seasonCustomise →

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