Most in-form defensive midfielders in J3 League

The most in-form defensive midfielders in J3 League, ranked on Field Insider.

At a glance

N. Nakagawa of Kashiwa Reysol is the standout for raw talent across defensive midfielders in J3 League, with a Field Insider Rating of 54.8, and S. Inagaki has been the form player this season, grading 64.8.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: Y. Yamamoto has improved his Season rating most, up +31.1 on last season, while T. Kubo's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +3.8 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, N. Nakagawa of Kashiwa Reysol is the most valuable name in this group at 41.6.

Kashiwa Reysol · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

Y. Yamamoto+31.1SsN

Kawasaki Frontale · 24/25→25/26

50 players · ranked by best this seasonCustomise →

#	Player	Team	Age	Season	Rating
1	S. Inagaki Defensive midfielder	Nagoya Grampus	34	6524.1%	2315.8%
2	Y. Yamamoto Defensive midfielder	Kawasaki Frontale	28	47200.6%	422.2%
3	T. Kubo Defensive midfielder	Kashiwa Reysol	27	46183.9%	498.3%
4	T. Miki Defensive midfielder	Avispa Fukuoka	28	380.5%	4019.4%
5	S. Kawahara Defensive midfielder	Kawasaki Frontale	28	36109.2%	4011.2%
6	N. Lavi Defensive midfielder	Gamba Osaka	29	35364%	347.4%
7	K. Hayashi Defensive midfielder	Machida Zelvia	25	3438.8%	544.6%
8	S. Tanaka Defensive midfielder	Cerezo Osaka	29	3420.2%	3623%
9	E. Miyamoto Defensive midfielder	Fagiano Okayama	27	3358.2%	443.1%
10	H. Mae Defensive midfielder	Machida Zelvia	30	33±0%	3310.6%
11	Y. Yamada Defensive midfielder	Kashiwa Reysol	26	3256.1%	462.7%
12	S. Tanaka Defensive midfielder	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	23	3238.9%	544.9%
13	K. Okuno Defensive midfielder	Shonan Bellmare	26	30279.5%	420.9%
14	R. Izumi Defensive midfielder	Nagoya Grampus	32	3014.8%	2612.9%
15	T. Morishima Defensive midfielder	Nagoya Grampus	29	2912.6%	3428.1%
16	Y. Nakayama Defensive midfielder	Machida Zelvia	29	29310%	363.2%
17	N. Nakagawa Defensive midfielder	Kashiwa Reysol	24	28	55
18	S. Nakano Defensive midfielder	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	26	2830.9%	5019.5%
19	S. Higashi Defensive midfielder	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	25	2734%	5311.4%
20	T. Harigaya Defensive midfielder	Fukushima United	27	26	41
21	K. Hashimoto Defensive midfielder	FC Tokyo	32	26753.3%	2216%
22	T. Kida Defensive midfielder	Yokohama F. Marinos	31	2540.2%	2524.9%
23	Diego Defensive midfielder	Kashiwa Reysol	30	2410%	2926.5%
24	N. Arai Defensive midfielder	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	29	2430.1%	3426.2%
25	K. Watanabe Defensive midfielder	Yokohama F. Marinos	27	226.3%	3921.1%
26	H. Shimoda Defensive midfielder	Machida Zelvia	34	2112.3%	1626.1%
27	R. Hirakawa Defensive midfielder	Tokyo Verdy	26	2156.6%	451.8%
28	R. Yamane Defensive midfielder	Yokohama F. Marinos	22	2167.2%	501%
29	M. Kudo Defensive midfielder	Kochi United	25	21	45
30	S. Abe Defensive midfielder	Gamba Osaka	28	2048.2%	3518.4%
31	K. Kumasaka Defensive midfielder	Kashiwa Reysol	25	20515.6%	5023%
32	H. Kida Defensive midfielder	Cerezo Osaka	26	19286%	431.2%
33	K. Fujimoto Defensive midfielder	Avispa Fukuoka	27	192.1%	4213%
34	R. Kamigaki Defensive midfielder	Nara Club	28	19	36
35	K. Tachibanada Defensive midfielder	Kawasaki Frontale	28	1954.2%	3430.5%
36	E. Watanabe Defensive midfielder	Kagoshima United	26	19	43
37	H. Ogura Defensive midfielder	Yokohama FC	25	17	44
38	S. Mori Defensive midfielder	Nagoya Grampus	19	17	52
39	T. Kishimoto Defensive midfielder	Gamba Osaka	29	179.9%	2923.7%
40	K. Taniguchi Defensive midfielder	Albirex Niigata	30	1652.8%	2630.1%
41	K. Fujiwara Defensive midfielder	Tochigi SC	22	16189.1%	497.5%
42	T. Suzuki Defensive midfielder	Gamba Osaka	29	1652.7%	3330.1%
43	Y. Nogami Defensive midfielder	Nagoya Grampus	35	1520.6%	1418.8%
44	K. Aziangbe Defensive midfielder	Yokohama F. Marinos	22	151245.5%	476.3%
45	R. Mito Defensive midfielder	Gamba Osaka	24	15311.1%	460.9%
46	S. Tokumoto Defensive midfielder	Nagoya Grampus	30	155%	2722.9%
47	Y. Hashimoto Defensive midfielder	Avispa Fukuoka	24	14	48
48	A. Kawazura Defensive midfielder	Nagoya Grampus	32	1351.1%	1839.7%
49	D. Suga Defensive midfielder	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	27	1236.7%	4018.4%
50	H. Okuno Defensive midfielder	Shonan Bellmare	36	1254.3%	1138.3%