We take a look at the most-owned players in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) as we track transfer trends ahead of the big kick-off.
Ownership can offer a useful snapshot of the current template, highlight the game’s most popular picks, and show where managers are placing their trust ahead of Gameweek 1. It’s not always a given that the most selected players are savvy buys, however – as we’ll discuss.
Below, we’ve broken down the most-owned players in each position, from goalkeepers through to forwards.
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GOALKEEPERS
It comes as little surprise to see David Raya (£6.0m) top the ownership charts. The Spaniard helped Arsenal keep 19 clean sheets during last season’s title-winning campaign, and his premium price has done little to put FPL managers off investing.
Budget appeal goes a long way to explaining Martin Dubravka’s (£4.0m) popularity, with the Tottenham stopper ranking second for ownership. However, he’s likely to be back-up to Antonin Kinsky (£4.5m), who also sits inside the top four.
Elsewhere, only Senne Lammens (£5.0m) has attracted more than 20% ownership. Manchester United rank among the teams with the kindest opening fixtures on our Fixture Ticker, while their defensive improvements under Michael Carrick have only strengthened the Belgian’s appeal.
It’s also worth noting that all five of last season’s highest-scoring goalkeepers feature in the top 10 for ownership. Both Robin Roefs (£5.0m) and Caoimhín Kelleher (£5.0m) earned a £0.5m price rise after impressive 2025/26 campaigns.
Despite that, each heads into the new season with ownership below 10%, perhaps because many managers have opted either for a premium option such as Raya or a cheaper route into their squads.
DEFENDERS
It comes as little surprise to see Gabriel Magalhães (£8.0m) top the defender ownership charts ahead of the new season. The Arsenal centre-back started just 30 league matches and played around 400 fewer minutes than Marc Guéhi (£6.0m), yet still finished as the highest-scoring defender in Fantasy Premier League.
Gabriel racked up 209 points, 30 more than Guéhi, despite the Manchester City defender finishing second among defenders for total points.
His 18 clean sheets only tell part of the story. Gabriel also posed a major threat from set-pieces, producing three goals and five assists to cement his place as the standout premium defensive option.
Defensive contributions played a huge role in FPL scoring last season. With that in mind, you might expect the ownership rankings to feature plenty of specialists in that area. However, only Virgil van Dijk (£6.5m) makes the top 10. The Liverpool centre-back sits ninth with around 16% ownership.
Luke Shaw (£4.5m) ranks second among defenders. Manchester United also have one of the kindest opening fixture runs on our Fixture Ticker. His budget-friendly price and ever-present role last season only strengthen his appeal.
Elsewhere, several familiar names feature. Neco O’Reilly (£6.5m) joins Guéhi to give Manchester City two representatives in the top 10. Pedro Porro (£5.5m) also earns a place after his FIFA World Cup success this summer.
Budget options also stand out. Coventry City’s Milan van Ewijk (£4.0m) and Ipswich Town’s Issa Diop (£4.0m) both make the top 10. Their low price tags allow managers to spend more elsewhere, so it’s no surprise to see some coverage from that price point.
Further down the rankings, Ezri Konsa (£4.5m) and Cristhian Mosquera (£5.5m) could prove smart alternatives. Konsa offers an affordable route into Aston Villa’s defence. Meanwhile, William Saliba’s (£6.0m) injury could hand Mosquera a regular starting role. That would make him a cheaper route into Arsenal’s backline.
MIDFIELDERS
Bruno Fernandes (£12.5m) sits top of the ownership charts despite his £3.0m price hike ahead of the new season. No midfielder produced more FPL points, attacking returns or NPxGI (non-penalty expected goal involvement, so he dominated in most aspects.
Whether or not he’ll be worth that price tag in the upcoming campaign remains to be seen, but with good fixtures, set-play duties, and multiple routes to points, he could be a difficult player to avoid, as we can see with his popularity.
Several of last season’s highest-scoring midfielders also feature among the most-owned players. Antoine Semenyo (£8.5m) enjoyed a sensational 2025/26 campaign, scoring 17 goals and supplying six assists. No midfielder found the net more often. However, questions remain over whether the Ghana international will play with the same attacking freedom under new manager Enzo Maresca.
Nearly 31% of managers have selected Morgan Rogers (£7.5m). The midfielder impressed for Aston Villa with 10 goals and eight assists, although he also benefitted from a degree of overperformance. His move to Chelsea adds another layer of uncertainty, with both his role and early-season minutes still up for debate.
That sense of caution extends to several other popular picks. Declan Rice (£7.5m) has attracted significant ownership thanks to Arsenal’s attacking potential and his multiple routes to points. However, he struggled with fitness during England’s World Cup campaign, so his readiness for Gameweek 1 remains uncertain.
The second most-owned midfielder is Dominik Szoboszlai (£7.0m), who appears in almost half of all squads. Set-piece duties, defensive contribution potential and an attractive price all boost his appeal. However, a deeper role for Liverpool during pre-season could reduce his attacking output if that trend continues into the new campaign.
Bryan Mbeumo (£8.0m) is the only other midfielder in the top 10, alongside Fernandes, who ranked among the league leaders for non-penalty expected goal involvement (NPxGI) last season. Strong underlying numbers, corner-taking duties and an excellent run of opening fixtures all help explain his popularity.
The rest of the list features several penalty takers. Cole Palmer (£9.5m) will hope to bounce back after an underwhelming 2025/26 campaign at Chelsea, especially with no European football to contend with. Enzo Le Fée (£6.0m) also makes the cut after Sunderland’s excellent campaign, while Iliman Ndiaye (£6.0m) remains a popular pick despite ongoing uncertainty over his future, with Everton still facing the possibility of losing the Senegal international before the transfer window closes.
FORWARDS
Even after a price rise to £15.5m, Erling Haaland remains the most-selected player in Fantasy Premier League. An incredible 75% of managers have included the Norwegian in their squads after another outstanding campaign, which saw him register 27 goals and eight assists on his way to another 200+ point season.
Haaland’s consistency and explosive potential make him one of the easiest picks in the game. However, his appeal extends beyond his own returns. He heads into most Gameweeks as the standout captaincy option, making him even more valuable in FPL and much harder to go without.
Four of last season’s five highest-scoring forwards feature in the top 10 for ownership. João Pedro (£7.5m) leads the way, with more than half of FPL managers selecting the Chelsea forward. The Brazilian spearheaded the Blues’ attack in 2025/26, producing 15 goals and nine assists. Unlike many of the game’s most popular strikers, he offers creativity as well as a consistent goal threat.
Goals drove Igor Thiago’s (£8.0m) appeal last season. The Brentford striker found the net 22 times and now heads into another campaign without the distraction of European football. That could help him maintain his impressive output.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m) has also attracted plenty of attention after an excellent first season at Leeds. His 14 goals helped secure Premier League survival, while his secure place in the starting XI makes him one of the safest options in his price bracket.
A strong World Cup appears to have boosted Brian Brobbey’s (£6.0m) popularity, with the forward sitting at almost 21% ownership. However, European football could affect his minutes this season. A return of just seven league goals in 2025/26 also makes him a less convincing pick than some of the forwards around him.
Elsewhere, several popular forwards face similar concerns. Viktor Gyökeres (£7.5m) and Ollie Watkins (£8.0m) could both see their minutes managed at times because of European commitments. Budget option Jonah Kusi-Asare (£4.5m) is probably third in the Fulham pecking order, meanwhile.
Managers will hope Jean-Philippe Mateta (£6.5m) can rediscover the form that made him such a popular FPL asset in previous seasons. Like Watkins, European football could limit his minutes across the campaign. The same applies to Alexander Isak (£9.0m), who now faces the added demands of Liverpool’s packed schedule.
