Best League One Players 2026/27
214 League One players have played at least 450 league minutes so far this season. The top-ranked players are Bailey Peacock-Farrell (Blackpool, 8.9) in goal, William Forrester (Leyton Orient, 8.7) in defence, Oliver Norwood (Stockport County, 8.8) in midfield and Derensili Sanches Fernandes (Huddersfield, 9.0) in attack.
Every score compares a player with others in his position at the same level of football, so you can read across the tables. League games only.
Goalkeepers
Top 10 of 21 goalkeepers with 450+ league minutes.
| # | Player | Score | Age | Mins | SHOT | DIST | CMD | RTG | Archetype |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bailey Peacock-FarrellBlackpool | 8.9 | 29 | 720 | 8.8 | 7.6 | 9.5 | 9.5 | Elite Complete Goalkeeper |
| 2 | Josef BursikAFC Wimbledon | 8.2 | 26 | 450 | 9.7 | 5.2 | 3.7 | 9.6 | Needs 600 mins |
| 3 | Joseph LumleySheffield Wednesday | 7.4 | 31 | 720 | 8.3 | 7.3 | 8.3 | 6.0 | Complete Goalkeeper |
| 4 | Oliver WhatmuffStockport County | 6.9 | 18 | 720 | 5.7 | 9.7 | 9.5 | 3.7 | Complete Goalkeeper |
| 5 | Joseph WhitworthWigan | 6.9 | 22 | 450 | 7.0 | 8.3 | 1.1 | 9.0 | Needs 600 mins |
| 6 | Joel PereiraReading | 6.5 | 30 | 810 | 7.4 | 6.4 | 9.7 | 2.4 | Elite Commanding Goalkeeper |
| 7 | Alexander BassPeterborough | 6.2 | 28 | 810 | 5.5 | 9.2 | 4.0 | 4.5 | Ball-Playing Goalkeeper |
| 8 | Craig MacGillivrayMilton Keynes Dons | 6.2 | 33 | 450 | 6.2 | 4.5 | 0.8 | 9.1 | Needs 600 mins |
| 9 | Alex McCarthyLeicester | 5.6 | 36 | 624 | 3.5 | 9.5 | 9.6 | 1.3 | Complete Goalkeeper |
| 10 | Nathan BaxterLeyton Orient | 4.8 | 27 | 582 | 6.7 | 0.9 | 9.9 | 0.5 | Needs 600 mins |
SHOT Shot Stopping · DIST Distribution · CMD Command · RTG Match Rating. Every score is out of 10.
Defenders
Top 10 of 78 defenders with 450+ league minutes.
| # | Player | Score | Age | Mins | DEF | DUEL | CRE | GOAL | CARRY | PASS | Archetype |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William ForresterLeyton Orient | 8.7 | 25 | 540 | 8.9 | 9.6 | 5.8 | 0.5 | 7.4 | 7.3 | Needs 600 mins |
| 2 | Carl PiergianniStevenage | 8.4 | 34 | 720 | 8.9 | 9.5 | 6.6 | 2.9 | 6.3 | 3.3 | Elite Central Defender |
| 3 | Aden BaldwinBradford | 8.2 | 29 | 804 | 8.6 | 9.5 | 0.0 | 7.9 | 1.7 | 5.6 | Elite Central Defender |
| 4 | Finn DelapBurton Albion | 8.1 | 21 | 703 | 9.5 | 7.5 | 3.6 | 9.8 | 2.5 | 8.0 | Central Defender |
| 5 | Ethan PyeStockport County | 7.9 | 23 | 720 | 7.7 | 8.1 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 9.6 | Elite Ball-Playing Defender |
| 6 | Matthew PenningtonBradford | 7.8 | 32 | 694 | 8.9 | 8.9 | 4.8 | 0.8 | 7.0 | 6.5 | Elite Central Defender |
| 7 | Liam CooperSheffield Wednesday | 7.8 | 35 | 556 | 6.6 | 9.5 | 2.9 | 0.5 | 4.6 | 9.6 | Needs 600 mins |
| 8 | Eoghan O'ConnellStockport County | 7.7 | 31 | 799 | 5.2 | 8.2 | 0.9 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 9.6 | Ball-Playing Defender |
| 9 | Benn David WardReading | 7.7 | 22 | 810 | 8.6 | 9.6 | 4.2 | 8.1 | 1.7 | 8.9 | Elite Ball-Playing Defender |
| 10 | Radinio BalkerHuddersfield | 7.6 | 28 | 799 | 4.1 | 5.6 | 7.8 | 2.8 | 8.1 | 8.8 | Progressive Defender |
DEF Defensive · DUEL Duels · CRE Chance Creation · GOAL Goal Threat · CARRY Ball Carrying · PASS Passing. Every score is out of 10.
Midfielders
Top 10 of 79 midfielders with 450+ league minutes.
| # | Player | Score | Age | Mins | DEF | DUEL | CRE | GOAL | CARRY | PASS | Archetype |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oliver NorwoodStockport County | 8.8 | 35 | 754 | 7.7 | 5.1 | 9.5 | 5.9 | 3.3 | 9.9 | Elite Advanced Playmaker |
| 2 | Jack DiamondStockport County | 8.6 | 26 | 713 | 1.0 | 6.7 | 9.4 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 2.2 | Elite Attacking Midfielder |
| 3 | Siriki DembéléOxford United | 8.6 | 30 | 559 | 8.6 | 8.4 | 7.7 | 8.7 | 9.6 | 2.5 | Needs 600 mins |
| 4 | Cameron HumphreysHuddersfield | 8.6 | 22 | 450 | 3.4 | 9.6 | 9.3 | 2.0 | 9.1 | 7.5 | Needs 600 mins |
| 5 | Max PowerWigan | 8.5 | 33 | 720 | 4.4 | 7.4 | 8.5 | 5.9 | 7.3 | 9.6 | Advanced Playmaker |
| 6 | Owura EdwardsPeterborough | 8.2 | 25 | 470 | 3.4 | 7.8 | 9.6 | 6.4 | 9.0 | 3.6 | Needs 600 mins |
| 7 | Cameron BrannaganOxford United | 7.9 | 30 | 621 | 7.3 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 7.6 | 1.2 | 9.6 | Deep Playmaker |
| 8 | Harvey WhitePlymouth | 7.8 | 25 | 899 | 5.5 | 6.9 | 7.0 | 7.6 | 4.3 | 8.3 | Advanced Playmaker |
| 9 | William AlvesLeicester | 7.8 | 21 | 539 | 0.2 | 2.2 | 9.5 | 6.3 | 9.6 | 6.4 | Needs 600 mins |
| 10 | Kyreece LisbieReading | 7.8 | 22 | 731 | 0.2 | 3.1 | 9.6 | 9.3 | 7.7 | 0.4 | Elite Attacking Midfielder |
DEF Defensive · DUEL Duels · CRE Chance Creation · GOAL Goal Threat · CARRY Ball Carrying · PASS Passing. Every score is out of 10.
Attackers
Top 10 of 36 attackers with 450+ league minutes.
| # | Player | Score | Age | Mins | DEF | DUEL | CRE | GOAL | CARRY | PASS | Archetype |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Derensili Sanches FernandesHuddersfield | 9.0 | 25 | 701 | 9.2 | 2.7 | 9.7 | 9.2 | 5.6 | 9.1 | Elite Creative Forward |
| 2 | Aaron CollinsMilton Keynes Dons | 8.6 | 29 | 551 | 7.0 | 3.8 | 7.3 | 9.7 | 3.2 | 1.3 | Needs 600 mins |
| 3 | Jack MarriottReading | 8.6 | 32 | 516 | 6.7 | 1.0 | 7.6 | 10.0 | 0.9 | 0.7 | Needs 600 mins |
| 4 | Benjamin KnightCambridge United | 8.1 | 24 | 655 | 9.3 | 2.5 | 8.2 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 9.6 | Pressing Forward |
| 5 | Joseph TaylorHuddersfield | 8.1 | 23 | 658 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 9.7 | 1.5 | 1.6 | Elite Poacher |
| 6 | Kyle WoottonStockport County | 8.0 | 30 | 780 | 0.4 | 9.0 | 0.7 | 9.6 | 4.7 | 5.0 | Elite Target Forward |
| 7 | Jayden StockleyAFC Wimbledon | 8.0 | 33 | 754 | 5.4 | 9.6 | 4.1 | 7.8 | 6.0 | 0.4 | Target Forward |
| 8 | Mark HarrisOxford United | 7.9 | 27 | 584 | 5.7 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 9.4 | 2.4 | 3.9 | Needs 600 mins |
| 9 | Michael SmithMansfield Town | 7.7 | 34 | 548 | 7.5 | 9.3 | 4.2 | 6.1 | 5.2 | 6.1 | Needs 600 mins |
| 10 | Gassan YahyaiCambridge United | 7.5 | 25 | 503 | 0.4 | 9.6 | 1.7 | 9.2 | 6.6 | 0.1 | Needs 600 mins |
DEF Defensive · DUEL Duels · CRE Chance Creation · GOAL Goal Threat · CARRY Ball Carrying · PASS Passing. Every score is out of 10.
Under-21s
The best young players in League One: Louis Page (17, Leicester, 7.8), M. Missanga (18, Oxford United, 7.4), Christian McFarlane (19, Leicester, 7.3). See the top 20 under-21s.
How the ranking works
Scout52 Score is a 0–10 rating for how well a player is performing this season. It blends three things: his match ratings (30%), the composites that define his playing style (50%) and the rest of his game (20%). How the engine works.
Every column is a comparison, not a raw stat. Each composite is ranked against players in the same position across third and fourth-tier football such as League One and League Two, so 8.7 means he is ahead of 87% of them. A player in League One is judged against the standard of League One, not the Premier League. Composite scores explained.
Who qualifies: players with at least 450 League One minutes this season. The bar is half of the league minutes played so far, so it rises as the season goes on. Only league games count. Archetypes appear once a player passes 600 minutes. Player archetypes explained.
The table refreshes every Tuesday. Last updated 13 October 2026.
More rankings
Questions
- Who is the best player in League One this season?
- The highest Scout52 Score in League One in 2026/27 belongs to Derensili Sanches Fernandes of Huddersfield (9.0, attacker), as of 13 October 2026. Scores compare each player with his own position, so check the table for each role.
- Who is the best young player in League One?
- Among under-21s, Louis Page (17, Leicester) ranks highest with 7.8.
- How are League One players ranked?
- By Scout52 Score: 30% match ratings, 50% the composite scores that define each player's style and 20% the rest of his game, each compared with players in the same position at the same level of football. Players need 450 league minutes to qualify.
Watching one of these players?
Add him to your lists in Scout52, write your match reports straight into his record and see every report your scouts have filed on him in one place. Free to start, no card needed.
Start free