Defenders who can contribute goals and assists are vital for achieving daily fantasy football success, but balancing risky picks with those likely to collect clean sheets is a major challenge.

La Liga has seen some extraordinary goalscoring this season, with Real Madrid’s 10-2 evisceration of Rayo Vallecano standing out, which makes finding reliable defenders difficult.

Here is the Fantasy Football Portal guide to five La Liga defenders worth picking in your teams.

Diego Godín

Diego Godín has grown into one of La Liga’s most formidable defenders in recent years, although he continues to be snubbed by the FIFPro XI in the Ballon d’Or ceremony.

The 29-year-old Uruguay international was crucial for Atlético Madrid in their surprise title victory two years ago and with Diego Simeone’s men again firmly in contention for domestic glory, his importance to his team cannot be underestimated.

Godín has led a defensive unit that has conceded the fewest goals and recorded the most clean sheets in La Liga, so it is no wonder he has become a must-pick for daily fantasy football players. He’s available at just $3.1m on FanTeam for this weekend’s LA Liga showdown with Barcelona.

Dominant in the air and strong on the ground, ever-present Godín also has one goal and one assist in La Liga this season, while his WhoScored rating is very high for a defender at 7.66.

Marcelo

Marcelo’s importance to Real Madrid grows each season, with the Brazilian left-back shining despite the club’s difficult start to the season under Rafael Benítez.

The 27-year-old has stepped up his performances even more since the arrival of World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane as Benítez’s successor, with Marcelo particularly standing out in 5-0 and 5-1 home wins against Deportivo La Coruña and Sporting Gijón respectively.

Marcelo has scored twice this season and has won the man of the match award on two occasions. Real Madrid’s star attackers might get top billing, but daily fantasy football players could do a lot worse than adding Marcelo to their defensive line-ups.

Daniel Wass

Celta Vigo’s Daniel Wass is one of the most versatile players in La Liga, capable of filling various roles on the pitch, but he is still typically classified as a defender in daily fantasy football games.

Denmark international Wass has already scored three goals in all competitions for surprise package Celta Vigo this season, as well as creating three assists for his team as they challenge for continental qualification.

The 26-year-old has excelled in his first La Liga campaign, but has not found the net in the league since scoring in back-to-back matches in September. Wass is a set piece taker of repute too.

Celta Vigo are on course to finish in the top six of La Liga and Wass has been one of their key men, with a WhoScored rating of 7.03.

Mario Gaspar

Villarreal’s outstanding team performances have lit up La Liga this season and right-back Mario Gaspar has been one of their shining stars.

Mario has scored two goals and recorded one assist in the league so far this season, while he showed off his superb technical ability with a stunning scissored volley against England in a friendly international match in November – he has scored two goals in two appearances for Spain.

However, one black mark for fantasy football players may be Mario’s disciplinary record. He was recently sent off for two yellow cards as Villarreal lost in the Copa Del Rey against Athletic Bilbao.

Dani Alves

Dani Alves was reported to be close to leaving Barcelona last summer but the Brazilian right-back signed a new two-year contract to stay at the club and he has continued to prove his worth.

The 32-year-old has recorded two assists this season as Luis Enrique’s men attempt to defend their La Liga title and compete across all domestic and European fronts once more.

However, the arrival of Aleix Vidal has put pressure on Alves’ place in the Barcelona side and daily fantasy players may wish to hold out to see who becomes first choice at right-back at the league’s frontrunners.

Vidal himself is also worthy of consideration, with his lightning pace and ability on the ball expected to give Barcelona a new facet to their play, although Alves’ experience remains valuable.