Profile
Sepp van den Berg is a defender at Brentford, priced at £5.0m for the new FPL season. He sits in a Brentford backline that will look to build on a solid defensive platform, and his involvement across nearly the full campaign last season makes him a name worth examining at his price point.
Last season’s output
Van den Berg accumulated 113 total points last season at a rate of 3.5 points per game, which is a competitive return for a £5.0m defender. He played 2,761 minutes, indicating he was a consistent starter when fit and available.
His attacking returns were modest: 0 goals and 3 assists, meaning the bulk of his points came from clean sheets and appearance points. He registered 8 clean sheets, which underpins that 113-point haul significantly. His bonus points total was 3, with a BPS of 435, suggesting he contributed steadily without dominating the bonus system. His ICT index of 106.3 reflects a defender who was involved in play but was not a primary attacking threat.
Overall, last season’s profile is that of a reliable, minutes-heavy defender whose value comes from clean sheets and consistency rather than attacking returns.
Ownership and price journey
Van den Berg is currently selected by just 0.7% of FPL managers, which makes him a genuine differential at this stage of the pre-season window. His price has not moved from the opening £5.0m, showing no transfer activity to influence it. This GW saw zero transfers in and zero transfers out, confirming he remains largely off the radar for the broader FPL community right now.
That low ownership cuts both ways. For managers willing to take a position early, the differential upside is real. For those waiting on price rises driven by community momentum, there is no sign of that yet.
Upcoming outlook
The fixture list for Brentford in the opening five gameweeks is genuinely appealing. Van den Berg’s expected points projections are consistent and encouraging across the run.
- GW1: Home vs Tottenham, xP 3.84
- GW2: Away vs Leeds, xP 3.78
- GW3: Home vs Sunderland, xP 3.84
- GW4: Away vs Bournemouth, xP 3.78
- GW5: Home vs Chelsea, xP 3.84
Five consecutive xP figures between 3.78 and 3.84 point to a steady expected return across the opening run. None of the fixtures stand out as obviously hostile, and the home games in particular carry a slightly higher projection. Captaincy is not a realistic conversation for a defender of this profile, given the attacking output data from last season, but he is a credible differential starter pick for those building budget-friendly defensive structures.
Verdict
Watch and consider owning. Van den Berg delivered 113 points at 3.5 per game last season with 8 clean sheets across 2,761 minutes, and he enters the new campaign at £5.0m with a very manageable opening five fixtures. Ownership of 0.7% means any early returns would carry differential value. The lack of attacking threat limits his ceiling, but for a budget defender slot, the underlying data from last season and the upcoming fixture run make him worth a place in the planning conversation. Skip the captaincy discussion entirely.