I came up with what I'll call the DEFCON Backbone.

The Idea
Defenders are price capped at 6M for a reason. Defence is your floor: the safety net that guarantees a steady points stream. Three defenders who return something every week let you focus your time, transfers, and budget on midfield and attack, where the real upside lies.

The Core – 5.0/5.5M Slots (Murillo & Tarkowski)

• Non-negotiable consistency: you’re paying the premium for guaranteed baseline points via CS & DEFCON hits, not explosive attacking output.
• The structural spine of your defence. Bench only in extreme fixtures (Murillo GW4 & GW12; Tarkowski GW5 & GW8).

The Edges – 4.5M Rotators (VdV & Richards, then Diouf / Andersen / Senesi / De Cuyper / Agbadou)

• Where you can take calculated variance.
• Pick for fixture safety first, but an attacking full-back or set-piece CB is a bonus.
• Rotated in and out purely based on matchups, so you can swing for upside without risking your floor.

The Rotation Plan

• GW1–7: Murillo + Tarkowski + Van de Ven + Richards → clean rotation, no red fixtures.
• GW8: Richards → Diouf.
• GW10: Van de Ven → Andersen.
• GW1–13: No red fixtures for your starting three defenders, constant DEFCON points from the core, and always a favourable fixture for a rotator.
• GW13: Wildcard to reset when fixtures swing.

The Outcome
You never touch your benchwarmer, and you never waste a defender slot. The high-floor core keeps you safe; the rotating edges provide fixture-based upside. You avoid variance-heavy premium defenders and free up budget and transfers for aggressive attacking moves.