Maxence Lacroix: Chelsea's New Defensive Star for Fantasy Managers

The price tag says premium. The numbers say elite. Whether Maxence Lacroix becomes a Fantasy Premier League must‑have in 2026/27 will depend on one man: Xabi Alonso.

Chelsea’s new head coach inherits a defender who quietly turned into one of the most reliable points machines at Crystal Palace. Lacroix arrives at Stamford Bridge at £6.0m, and this isn’t a speculative punt on potential. His output over the last two seasons has already put him among the very best in his position.

A DC Giant Hiding in Plain Sight

At Palace, Lacroix sat in the centre of a back three in a 3-4-2-1, the fulcrum of a system built on structure and discipline. From there he delivered 154 points last season, seventh among all defenders. One goal, two assists, 11 clean sheets – solid enough. But the real gold lies in the defensive contribution (DC) metric.

If DC had existed in 2024/25, Lacroix would have banked 34 DC points, beaten by only four defenders in the league. When DC did arrive officially in 2025/26, he went up a gear: 40 DC points, with only Marcos Senesi and James Tarkowski – both also priced at £6.0m – finishing ahead of him on 50 and 44.

Across the last two campaigns, only Tarkowski and Lacroix have managed to sit inside the top five defenders for DC in both seasons. That’s not a hot streak. That’s a profile.

He starts regularly, he racks up interventions, and he does it in systems that ask a lot of their central defender. If Alonso sticks with a three-man defence, Lacroix is built to hoover up DC.

Set-Piece Menace in Disguise

Look at his headline attacking returns – one goal and two assists in each of the last two seasons – and you might shrug. Then you dig into the set-piece data and the picture changes.

Last season, Lacroix produced 15 headed shots from set-pieces and 23 shots from set-pieces overall. Both figures ranked inside the top 10 among defenders. They were identical to Gabriel’s numbers for Arsenal, and Gabriel turned those into three goals and five assists.

Go back to 2024/25 and Lacroix was even more dominant. No defender had more shots from set-pieces than his 27. No defender had more headed efforts than his 20. Only Nikola Milenkovic and Virgil van Dijk could match that headed tally – and they hit five and three goals respectively.

The pattern is clear: the volume is there. The conversion hasn’t quite caught up yet. For Fantasy managers, that’s often where value lives.

Why Chelsea Need Him

Chelsea’s defenders have not exactly terrorised opposition boxes from dead balls. Last season, only Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana managed more than three headed shots from set-pieces in the league.

Chalobah finished with 12 shots from set-pieces, Fofana with eight. Both trailed Lacroix’s 23 for Palace by some distance. The gap is stark, and it underlines why Chelsea have moved for this particular profile.

Chalobah is being linked with a move away. Fofana is sidelined until September. That opens the door for Lacroix to anchor a back three, potentially alongside Reece James and Levi Colwill, if Alonso leans into the shape he used to such devastating effect at Bayer Leverkusen.

The need is obvious. James had 10 shots from set-pieces last season, but not a single one was a header. Colwill barely featured, starting just twice, so it’s fairer to look at his breakthrough 2024/25 campaign: 35 starts, 14 shots from set-pieces, nine of them headers.

Now set that next to Lacroix.

• In 2024/25: 27 shots from set-pieces, 20 headers, 35 starts.
• In 2025/26: 23 shots from set-pieces, 15 headers, another 35 starts.

Across those two seasons he has averaged 17.5 headed shots from set-pieces per campaign. Colwill, in his one full season, managed nine. The Frenchman doesn’t just offer an upgrade; he changes the profile of Chelsea’s set-piece threat.

Premium Anchor or Overpriced Luxury?

So where does that leave Fantasy managers staring at a £6.0m defender in a Chelsea shirt?

If you want a “set and forget” rock at the back, someone you can start every week and not think twice, Lacroix fits the brief – especially if Alonso commits to a back three. He is an elite DC performer, durable, and a constant aerial option at free-kicks and corners. Those are the traits you pay up for.

The alternative route is to chase value. Colwill at £5.0m suddenly becomes interesting if he nails down a regular role in pre-season, particularly if Alonso prefers a back four. The structure changes, the DC spread shifts, and the cheaper route into the Chelsea defence might appeal more.

James, priced at £5.5m, sits in his own category: explosive when fit, but with a well-documented injury history. Chelsea’s absence from European competition this season could ease the physical load on both James and Colwill, trimming the risk of repeat setbacks after long spells out.

Lacroix, though, arrives as the constant. Two seasons, 70 league starts, top-tier DC numbers, and set-piece volume that screams untapped upside. The question is not whether he’s good enough.

It’s whether you’re willing to build your defence around him before Alonso shows his hand.