The 12 favourites to win the League One Golden Boot in 2026/27 (Ranked) | OneFootball

The early Golden Boot odds for League One have been revealed

The League One Golden Boot race for the 2026/27 season is shaping up to be a real tight one.

Last year had real potential to feature multiple 20-goal campaigns, but injuries ended up getting in the way.

Both Lorent Tolaj and Jack Marriott still finished in the top five, despite missing over 13 and 22 league games, respectively, and Kyle Wootton ended up playing the final six games as a centre-back, despite breathing down the neck of eventual winner Dom Ballard.

In the end, the exciting Leyton Orient frontman was the only player to score 20 or more, but there's an expectation that he may face a bit more competition in the race to retain his Golden Boot.

Here are the early pre-season favourites for the League One scoring title, per bet365.

Stephy Mavididi, Kyle Wootton, Joe Taylor and Ashley Fletcher — Various

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The bookmakers have Huddersfield Town duo Joe Taylor and Ashley Fletcher tied in ninth and tenth in their predictions, but below them, also tied, are Stockport County frontman Wootton and Leicester City winger Stephy Mavididi.

Mavididi is still contracted with the Foxes, but there's potential that he may become the latest high-earning Leicester player to depart the King Power Stadium following their successive relegations from the Premier League into League One, with Rangers interested in the 28-year-old.

Meanwhile, it's slightly surprising to see Wootton priced that low, given he could have easily won it last season if not for the injury crisis Stockport faced at centre-back.

And alongside them are Fletcher, who signed for Huddersfield this summer off the back of two very impressive seasons at Blackpool. Last year, he scored 15 in League One and 21 in all competitions.

And Taylor returns to the Accu Stadium having scored 11 times in 21 third-tier outings on loan at Wigan Athletic in the second half of the campaign, proving that he is, indeed, a top League One striker. It's up to Huddersfield to see him reach that level back in West Yorkshire, following a dud year after his switch from Luton Town.

Conor Chaplin - Leicester City

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It's no surprise that Conor Chaplin finds his way into the top 10 in the top scorers race, as the new Leicester signing returns to League One for the first time since winning the Golden Boot in the 2022/23 third tier campaign.

Then, he played for Ipswich Town, who played some of the best football the third tier has ever seen under Kieran McKenna. Russell Martin can oversee an attractive playstyle, too, and if it all clicks under him at the King Power, the Foxes could be a strong attacking side.

If they are, Chaplin will likely be the man tasked with finishing the majority of the many chances they'll create, and even off the back of a campaign where he found the back of the net just twice at Portsmouth, you'd back the 29-year-old to find his scoring boots back in League One.

Adama Sidibeh - Stockport County

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There's a lot of hype and expectation surrounding Adama Sidibeh ahead of his first full EFL campaign, after the former non-league frontman netted 10 times following his January move from St Johnstone last season.

The 28-year-old has been the subject of interest from Blackburn Rovers, Bristol City and Middlesbrough this summer, so if Stockport can convince him to stay at Edgeley Park, they could have themselves a Golden Boot favourite this year.

Sidibeh may have some early catching up to do if he does stay, though, after suffering a hamstring injury in pre-season, but if he can score goals at a similar rate to how quickly he can run off defenders in behind, he won't have an issue overtaking the early pace setters.

Harry Leonard - Peterborough United

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Harry Leonard had a very good debut campaign at Peterborough United, netting 16 times in 37 league outings.

However, with Jimmy-Jay Morgan's loan spell ending and Kyrell Lisbie being sold to Millwall, the next highest-scoring Posh player from last season who is still at the club is Brandon Khela, who scored just three times.

There's no doubting that Peterborough owner Darragh MacAnthony will be hard at work to replace those, especially with them receiving £2.5 million for Lisbie, but as it stands right now, Leonard is going to be doing a lot of the heavy lifting up front.

Anyone who plays for a Luke Williams side will be in with a chance of winning the Golden Boot, given how attacking he likes to play, and the 22-year-old could be in line for an even better campaign than his 16-goal one last year.

Louie Barry - Sheffield Wednesday

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There have been a lot of statement signings at Sheffield Wednesday this summer, but arguably none have been better received from Owls fans than the arrival of Louie Barry from Aston Villa.

When fit, the 23-year-old can easily be one of the best wide forwards in the division, as seen with his 15-goal campaign in just 23 outings at Stockport in 2024/25, which still saw him finish eighth in the Golden Boot race, despite being recalled from his loan spell in January!

He has only played 23 times in the last 18 months, though, which is a slight cause for concern, but 10 of those games did come in the final few months of last season back at Edgeley Park, where he scored four times.

The winger finally has a fresh start after several loan spells in his career, and a settled Barry could be a very dangerous prospect for League One defences next season.

Alfie May - Doncaster Rovers

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Alfie May is back where his professional career started, as he arrived back at Doncaster Rovers on loan from Huddersfield for the campaign.

It's safe to say that the 33-year-old didn't live up to the massive expectations placed upon him at the Accu Stadium last year. In his four previous League One campaigns, he'd netted 82 times, won the Golden Boot in 2023/24 and helped Birmingham City secure promotion with a record points tally.

The seven goals he scored last season are a slight stain on an otherwise impeccable third-tier resume over the last five years, but with the atmosphere around Huddersfield last year especially, and the role he was asked to play, it's understandable why it may not have worked out.

What can't be suggested, however, is that last season will be the norm. May is still a dangerous goalscorer, and with Donny being one of the more wasteful sides in League One last year, the returning 33-year-old could return to being that Golden Boot contender once more.

Jack Marriott - Reading

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It was prefaced before the list that Marriott had a brilliant debut campaign at Reading last season and could have easily won the Golden Boot if he hadn't missed so many games through injury.

The 31-year-old started just 20 league games for the Royals last year and still scored 16 times. Crucially, only one of those goalscoring ventures saw him net a brace or more, when he scored a hat-trick in a 3-2 win against Wycombe Wanderers. He was held scoreless on just 10 occasions last year.

So, if Marriott can stay fit for even 80% of the season, and continue to score at the rate he did last year, the 2017/18 Golden Boot winner could pick up his second third-tier top scorer award nine years following his first.

Bim Pepple - Plymouth Argyle

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Plymouth Argyle reluctantly said goodbye to Tolaj this summer, following his 18-goal campaign last year.

It's imperative that they don't end up losing Bim Pepple in the same window, as the Canadian has all the tools to step up and be the leading talisman throughout the entire season this time round.

The 23-year-old stepped up in Tolaj's absence when he was injured in the opening months of 2026, and ended the campaign with 16 goals in just 23 starts, seeing him finish in the top five of last season's Golden Boot race.

A full campaign of being the first-choice number nine at Home Park will only see those numbers increase, and would soften the blow of losing Tolaj this summer.

Dom Ballard - Leyton Orient

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However, the bookmakers are predicting that Ballard won't be giving up his crown next season, ultimately becoming just the second man to win back-to-back League One Golden Boots, after Rickie Lambert did it in 2008/09 and 2009/10.

The reigning League One Young Player and Player of the Season bagged 23 goals in 40 league appearances last season and took home three match balls in games against Doncaster, Reading and AFC Wimbledon.

And, more importantly, he did so for a Leyton Orient side who finished just three points above the drop, securing their safety on the final day. If Richie Wellens gets some better players around him, and so far this window he has, Ballard could see his numbers increase further.