One of my favorite mechanics of MLS Fantasy game is that players are rewarded for their actions during games, not just goals and assists.

For defenders, this means that they are made or broken by their ability to generate bonus points. Usually, when you’re picking defenders, it’s important to look beyond clean sheets because players who generate a high number of tackles, interceptions, clearances and blocks per game tend to be the most consistent point producers.

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If you prefer your defenders to be more offensive-minded, you’re not alone and will see several on my list below. These players can be a bit boom or bust so you’ll want to focus on the crossing and passing stats or find someone who’s consistently lining up out-of-position in midfield.

Top 20 defenders

The below is my list of top defenders for the first six weeks of the season. While making this list, I tried to consider a player’s history of point generation, preseason performance, quality of overall defensive unit and strength of schedule.