Penalties, corners and direct free kicks can significantly increase a player's Fantasy Premier League value.
A midfielder taking penalties has an additional route to goals, while regular corner duties can create assists without the player needing to operate in an advanced position.
The list below shows the current expected takers for all 20 Premier League clubs. The order is provisional and is based on last season's evidence, pre-season matches, previous roles and expected responsibilities at new clubs. Set-piece duties can still change before Gameweek 1.
The names are listed in their current expected order of prominence, but pre-season evidence should take priority before the Gameweek 1 deadline.
The safest penalty takers
Several penalty roles appear more secure than others.
Bruno Fernandes
Bruno is the clear first-choice Manchester United penalty taker. He is also expected to remain involved in direct free kicks and corners, giving him several routes to FPL points.
His 235-point total last season included nine goals and 24 assists. Manchester United also begin against promoted Hull and Ipswich, strengthening his early appeal.
Erling Haaland
Haaland remains the expected Manchester City penalty taker whenever he is on the pitch.
He scored 27 goals and collected 239 FPL points last season. His record £15.5m price reflects his unmatched goal and captaincy potential.
Cole Palmer
Palmer remains Chelsea's leading penalty candidate, although Enzo Fernandez and Estevao provide alternatives.
Palmer's £9.5m price and lack of international football during the summer could make him an attractive premium midfielder if pre-season confirms that he retains penalties.
Bukayo Saka
Saka is Arsenal's current first-choice candidate, with Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Odegaard behind him.
Managers should monitor Arsenal's friendlies because a new central forward can sometimes change the penalty hierarchy.
Igor Thiago
Thiago scored 22 league goals last season and is currently projected to remain Brentford's primary penalty taker.
His 80 shots inside the box and 41 big chances both ranked second among forwards behind Haaland.
The most uncertain situations
Liverpool have one of the most important unresolved penalty roles.
Szoboszlai is currently projected first, followed by Gakpo and Mac Allister. Alexander Isak could also enter the discussion after Mohamed Salah's departure, particularly if he becomes the undisputed starting centre-forward.
Aston Villa, Fulham and several promoted clubs also require further evidence. Managers should not select a player primarily because of an expected penalty role unless that role is supported by pre-season or manager comments.
Best corner takers for FPL
Regular corner duties increase assist potential, especially for players supplying strong aerial teams.
The most interesting early options include:
Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka at Arsenal
James Garner at Everton
Dominik Szoboszlai at Liverpool
Bruno Fernandes and Mbeumo at Manchester United
Lewis Hall and Bruno Guimaraes at Newcastle
Xhaka and Le Fee at Sunderland
Pedro Porro and Xavi Simons at Tottenham
Corner responsibility is particularly valuable when combined with secure minutes, defensive contributions or attacking involvement from open play.
How to use set-piece information
Do not select a player only because his name appears in this guide.
Consider:
Is he expected to start?
Does he take the majority of set pieces or only occasional ones?
Is he competing with a new signing?
Will he remain on the pitch for 70 to 90 minutes?
Does his team win enough penalties and attacking set pieces?
Are the opening fixtures favourable?
A secure starter taking half of his club's corners can be more useful than a rotation risk who takes every corner when on the pitch.
Final FPL verdict
Bruno Fernandes, Haaland and Palmer currently have the clearest premium set-piece appeal.
Thiago and Calvert-Lewin stand out among forwards, while Garner and Szoboszlai could offer additional value through corners and free kicks.
Treat Liverpool, Aston Villa, Fulham and the promoted clubs as provisional situations. The final major friendly and manager press conferences should provide the strongest evidence before Gameweek 1.
This page should be updated whenever a penalty is taken during pre-season or a new player begins sharing corners and free kicks.
OneFPL is an independent Fantasy Premier League companion and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Premier League or Fantasy Premier League.
Suggested Internal Links
Anchor text: compare player prices and statistics Link: `/players`
Anchor text: opening Premier League fixtures Link: `/fixtures`
Anchor text: build your squad in the OneFPL Planner Link: `/planner`
Publish Date: 26 July 2026
Updated Date: 26 July 2026
Recommended Reading Time: 5 minutes
Blog Status: Ready to publish as a live guide. Update after the final friendlies.
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# BLOG 2: MOST-OWNED PLAYERS AND THE EARLY TEMPLATE
Title: Most-Owned FPL Players 2026/27: The Early Gameweek 1 Template
Link / Slug: `most-owned-fpl-players-gameweek-1-template-2026-27`
Meta Title: Most-Owned FPL Players and GW1 Template 2026/27
Meta Description: See the most-owned FPL players for 2026/27 and discover which early Gameweek 1 template picks look safe, risky or overpriced.
Summary: Haaland, Bruno Fernandes and Joao Pedro lead the early FPL template. We assess the most-owned players and identify which selections still require pre-season evidence.
Featured Image Title: FPL Gameweek 1 Early Template
Featured Image Alt Text: The most-owned FPL players arranged in a Gameweek 1 formation
Featured Image Suggestion: A football formation board containing popular player cards and ownership percentage graphics. Use OneFPL's dark background with green data highlights. Do not include the official FPL logo.
Secondary Keywords: FPL Gameweek 1 template, FPL ownership, most popular FPL players, early FPL draft
Rich Text Body
Ownership updated: 26 July 2026
FPL managers have already started building their 2026/27 squads, and a clear early template is developing.
Ownership should not decide your team, but it can show which players are viewed as safe selections and where the largest Gameweek 1 risks may appear.
Current ownership will change substantially during pre-season, especially after new transfers, injuries and final-friendly line-ups.
Most-owned FPL players
Player
Position
Price
Ownership
Erling Haaland
Forward
£15.5m
74.0%
Bruno Fernandes
Midfielder
£12.0m
48.0%
Joao Pedro
Forward
£7.5m
47.5%
Dominik Szoboszlai
Midfielder
£7.0m
41.5%
Morgan Rogers
Midfielder
£7.5m
34.6%
David Raya
Goalkeeper
£6.0m
29.8%
Marc Guehi
Defender
£6.0m
25.3%
Gabriel
Defender
£8.0m
25.1%
Nico O'Reilly
Defender
£6.5m
24.7%
Declan Rice
Midfielder
£7.5m
22.4%
Antoine Semenyo
Midfielder
£8.5m
20.2%
Igor Thiago
Forward
£8.0m
17.5%
These figures are taken from the official FPL statistics page and were correct on 26 July 2026.
Haaland is the foundation of the template
Haaland is owned by almost three out of every four managers.
His £15.5m price makes squad building difficult, but he finished last season with 239 points after scoring 27 goals. He has also been the highest-scoring FPL player after six Gameweeks in each of his four Manchester City seasons.
Going without him could create a stronger overall squad, but it also means facing his high captaincy ownership during favourable fixtures.
Template verdict: Safe when confirmed fit and ready to start.
Bruno looks difficult to ignore
Bruno's 48.0 percent ownership reflects Manchester United's excellent opening fixtures.
They begin against Hull and Ipswich, while Bruno scored 235 points last season. He produced 129 points over the final 17 Gameweeks after Michael Carrick took charge.
His penalties, set pieces and attacking role give him several routes to returns.
Template verdict: One of the safest early selections.
Is Joao Pedro ownership too high?
Joao Pedro is currently selected by 47.5 percent of managers after producing 177 points last season.
His £7.5m price fits many Haaland drafts, but almost half of all managers owning him before Chelsea's final friendlies creates risk.
Monitor:
His starting position
Competition for the central-forward role
Whether Palmer retains penalties
His expected Gameweek 1 minutes
Chelsea's attacking system under Xabi Alonso
Template verdict: Strong value, but ownership is ahead of confirmed pre-season evidence.
Szoboszlai could be the template gamble
Szoboszlai is owned by 41.5 percent of managers at £7.0m after scoring 160 points last season.
Liverpool avoid all of last season's top 10 across their first four fixtures. His position under Andoni Iraola and possible penalty involvement make him attractive.
However, his exact tactical role and share of set pieces are not yet secure.
Template verdict: Excellent price and fixtures, but final-friendly positioning matters.
Raya and Gabriel form the safe defensive core
Arsenal begin at home to promoted Coventry and face only one of last season's top six across their first eight fixtures.
Gabriel scored 209 points last season through three goals, five assists, 18 clean sheets and 22 defensive-contribution points. Raya offers the cheaper route at £6.0m.
Owning both is expensive, but the double-up has a credible combination of security and upside.
Template verdict: Raya is the safer value choice. Gabriel offers the higher ceiling.
The Manchester City defender risk
Marc Guehi and Nico O'Reilly are both owned by around one-quarter of managers.
Their previous totals of 179 and 160 points explain the interest, but Manchester City have a new tactical situation and strong competition across defence.
The revised Bonus Points System could help attacking defenders such as O'Reilly because players are no longer penalised for being tackled. Centre-backs will receive slightly less BPS from clearances, blocks and interceptions.
Template verdict: Attractive, but neither should be treated as completely rotation-proof before pre-season ends.
Rogers, Rice and Semenyo
Morgan Rogers, Rice and Semenyo are all heavily owned midfielders, but they solve different squad-building problems.
Rice offers secure minutes, set pieces and defensive contributions. Rogers provides a stronger attacking profile at Chelsea, while Semenyo has a high ceiling but must establish his exact Manchester City role.
The ownership numbers should not make them automatic picks. Compare them with alternatives in the same price bracket and monitor their final-friendly minutes.
A possible early template spine
The strongest current template core appears to be:
Raya or Gabriel
Bruno Fernandes
Haaland
One of Szoboszlai or Rice
One of Joao Pedro or Thiago
One Manchester City defender if pre-season confirms the role
This creates a balanced foundation without copying every highly owned player.
Should you avoid the template?
Being different is not automatically valuable.
A low-owned player only helps when he scores more points than the popular alternative. Selecting weak options purely to be different can create an unnecessary early deficit.
Use ownership to understand risk:
High ownership plus strong evidence usually creates a safe pick.
High ownership plus uncertain minutes creates an opportunity.
Low ownership plus secure minutes and good fixtures can produce a genuine differential.
Final FPL verdict
Haaland, Bruno and Arsenal's defensive assets form the safest part of the early template.
Joao Pedro, Szoboszlai and the Manchester City defenders need more pre-season confirmation. Their prices and potential are attractive, but their ownership currently assumes secure roles.
Do not copy the entire template. Keep its strongest foundation, then use two or three carefully researched alternatives to create a squad that remains different for the right reasons.
OneFPL is an independent Fantasy Premier League companion and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Premier League or Fantasy Premier League.
OneFPL analysis. OneFPL is an independent Fantasy Premier League companion and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Premier League or Fantasy Premier League.
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