Premier League Set-Piece and Penalty Takers 2026/27

Last updated: Gameweek 8 · October 17, 2026

Set-piece duty is often the difference between a fantasy asset and a bench player in category-scoring leagues. A midfielder who takes corners and free kicks accumulates tackles, clearances and blocks that scoring sites reward far more heavily than FPL does—and a penalty taker can spike his total in a single match. Dominik Szoboszlai at Liverpool holds penalties, corners and indirect free kicks, yet his 32.5% FPL ownership misses that his defensive and creative volume makes him a 9th of 40 option in our model.

The set-piece takers who matter most for fantasy

Haaland (Man City, FWD)

Haaland is Man City’s sole penalty taker. He ranks 1st of 40 in points per 90 with 17.07 InfoSport Points, built on 5 goals and 4.42 expected goals across six matches.

Groß (Brighton, MID)

Groß takes penalties, corners and indirect free kicks for Brighton, making him central to the club’s set-piece strategy. He is 2nd of 40 in points per 90 at 16.08 InfoSport Points, with 3 goals, 4 assists and 1st of 40 ranking in assists.

Saka (Arsenal, MID)

Saka shares Arsenal’s penalty and free-kick duties and takes corners. His 14.34 points per 90 ranks 6th of 40; he has 3 goals and 3.22 expected goals in the season so far.

Tavernier (Bournemouth, MID)

Tavernier is first choice for penalties, corners and direct free kicks at Bournemouth. He ranks 3rd of 40 in tackles with 11 and contributes 12.08 points per 90, yet holds only 6.8% FPL ownership—a severe undervaluation in category leagues.

Hall (Newcastle, DEF)

Hall takes corners and indirect free kicks for Newcastle and ranks 1st of 40 in tackles with 13 and 1st of 40 in clearances, blocks and interceptions with 33. His 10.51 points per 90 makes him a sixth-round target in defensive-heavy leagues.

Penalty takers to know

Erling Haaland (Man City), Pascal Groß (Brighton), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Bruno Borges Fernandes (Man Utd), Emiliano Buendía (Aston Villa), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nott’m Forest), Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool) and Dominic Solanke (Spurs) are the first-choice penalty takers across the Premier League. Haaland, Groß, Saka and Fernandes stand out for their projected points and consistency; the others are backup or shared options at their clubs.

Clubs where set-piece duties are shared

Set-piece duties fragment across many clubs, reducing the fantasy value of any single taker. At Arsenal, Saka, Gyökeres, Ødegaard and Bruno G. all hold penalty options; corners and indirect free kicks rotate among Rice, Saka, Tzolis, Bruno G. and Madueke. Man City spreads corners across Cherki, Foden, Anderson and Enzo, while penalties belong solely to Haaland. Liverpool concentrates more, with Szoboszlai controlling penalties and free kicks and sharing corners with Wirtz, Gakpo and Tsimikas. Spurs distribute heavily—Solanke, Marmoush, Kudus and Xavi share penalties, while corners and free kicks span eight players including Pedro Porro, Sávio, Tel and Maddison. Aston Villa’s duties are split between Buendía (penalties and direct free kicks) and McGinn, Buendía, Cash and Barkley on corners.

How to use set-piece duty in Sleeper and Fantrax

In category leagues, set-piece duty is structural value, not a bonus. A midfielder who takes 10 corners per season adds 5 points per 90 from clearances and blocks alone—worth more in InfoSport Points than most fantasy midfielders score in a full month. Use the table below to identify first-choice takers at each club, then cross-reference them with InfoSport’s full EPL rankings to find players whose defensive and creative volume raises them above their FPL ownership.

Penalty duty matters most for forwards and attacking midfielders. A single goal swings a match; the difference between a second- and third-choice penalty taker can be 3–5 projected points per season. Prioritise Haaland, Groß, Saka and Fernandes, then monitor injury news and team sheets at clubs where penalties are shared.

In corner-heavy seasons, defenders and defensive midfielders who take set pieces accrue clearance and block points that compound. Hall, Tavernier and Lewis-Potter—low-owned in FPL at 17.6%, 6.8% and 1.7%—deliver far more value in category leagues than their ownership suggests. Check our best midfielders guide and our forwards rankings to spot set-piece takers whose overall role fits your roster needs.

Frequently asked questions

Who should I target for penalties in fantasy?

Haaland (17.07 points per 90), Groß (16.08) and Saka (14.34) are the three most reliable penalty takers in fantasy scoring. Fernandes (13.17 points per 90) at Man Utd is the fourth option. In other leagues, penalties rotate: Buendía and N.Jackson at Villa, Thiago and Schade at Brentford, and Clarke and Emersonn at Ipswich are backups worth tracking if the primary taker is injured or rested.

Which defenders gain the most from set-piece duty?

Hall (Newcastle, 10.51 points per 90) is first choice for corners and owns 1st of 40 in tackles and clearances. Tavernier (Bournemouth, 12.08 points per 90) handles penalties, corners and free kicks and ranks 3rd of 40 in tackles. Both are severely under-owned in FPL—Hall at 17.6% and Tavernier at 6.8%—making them value bets in category leagues where defensive volume scores.

Does shared penalty duty rule out a player in draft?

Shared duty lowers floor but doesn’t eliminate value. Buendía at Aston Villa shares penalties with N.Jackson but takes all direct free kicks and most corners, scoring 7.71 points per 90 on limited minutes. Monitor who takes the next match-winning set piece; a single goal can flip your week, and shared duty ensures someone gets the chance.

Bottom line

Set-piece takers are structural assets in category leagues—they compound value through corners, free kicks and penalties that FPL barely rewards. Use the table below to identify your club’s first choices, then pair duty with club-by-club guides to spot which takers fit your position needs and ownership thresholds.

All 20 clubs: penalty, corner and free-kick takers

Order of preference as listed by official Fantasy Premier League data (first name = first choice).