Premier League Darts 2026: Who to look out for
With the first ranking major of the season coming to a close at the weekend, with Luke Littler picking up his maiden World Masters Title over reigning champ Luke Humphries, all eyes turn to Newcastle as the Premier League of Darts returns for 2026.
Once more, the Premier League line-up drew up plenty of controversy within the darting sphere, as many debated who they believed should make the cut for the 17-week roadshow that all culminates in the thrilling play-offs.
Of course, the top four in the order of merit automatically qualify for the prestigious event, while the rest of the field is selected based on who the PDC view as the most deserving over the last 12 months.
In this article, Sports News Blitz’s Charlie Fawcett looks at the eight players selected for this year’s edition.
Luke Littler
World No.1 and World Champion Luke Littler has managed to put the sport on the map in an unprecedented way, with darts growing exponentially with every passing year.
With his last ranking TV defeat coming at the hands of James Wade at the European Championship, the Nuke is clearly a no-brainer to be included in this year’s tournament.
The newly crowned Masters Champion comes into this year’s event hoping to claim back the Premier League crown, as despite winning the league phase at a canter, it all ended in defeat in the final of the Play-Offs to the next man in the line-up.
Luke Humphries
The reigning Premier League champion, Luke Humphries, who has seemingly won every big prize there is to win in the sport of darts, returns to the Premier League this year looking to retain the title just as Michael Van Gerwen did in 2022 and 2023.
However, he will face stern opposition, as with the sport ever changing and ever growing, the overall quality within the field has never been stronger than this year.
However, after his impressive run to the final of the Masters over the weekend, it’s fair to say that Coolhand will be a force to be reckoned with.
Gian van Veen
Gian van Veen was a player I tipped to really put his name on the map in 2025, and he truly didn’t disappoint.
Winning his first major tournament in a thrilling 11-10 victory over Luke Humphries at the European Championship in Dortmund, before reaching the final of the Worlds was enough to surge GVV up to third in the rankings, crucially dethroning Michael Van Gerwen as the Dutch No.1.
I believe this is just the beginning for Van Veen, as he is a player who, in many eras, would have the quality to dominate the sport.
It feels like a when rather than if Van Veen picks up a world title, but I think it’s fair to say that a place in the Premier League can only be a step in the right direction for the young Dutchman.
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Michael Van Gerwen
Michael Van Gerwen has had a rough past couple of years, with many results not going the way he had hoped.
Barring a World Championship runner-up place in 2025 and picking up the title at the World Series Finals in September, success has been a rarity for the Dutch darting icon in recent times.
However, he did retain his place in the top four of the order of merit, despite his run at the Worlds being cut short by Gary Anderson, and therefore, will be back in the Premier League for what feels like a huge 2026 for Mighty Mike.
Jonny Clayton
The Ferret and Welsh No.1 marks his return to the Premier League on Thursday evening as he looks to roll back the years to 2021, as he picked up a hatful of titles, with the Premier League being one of them.
It looks as though Jonny Clayton is beginning to reestablish former glory.
Though in 2025 alone, he won his third-ever Euro Tour title, as well as reaching the semi-finals of the UK Open, Grand Slam, and World Matchplay, along with losing 6-5 to Luke Humphries in the 2025 World Masters final.
Josh Rock
Josh Rock is the only debutant in this year’s event, and he tasted his first piece of major success in 2025 as Northern Ireland defeated Wales 10-9 in a thrilling final over in Frankfurt to produce one of last season’s games of the year.
He also reached multiple ranking major semi-finals last year, with James Wade seeing him off 11-2 in the UK Open semis, before losing at the same stage at the World Matchplay to eventual champ Luke Littler.
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Stephen Bunting
The Bullet comes into the event off the back of a disappointing year on TV.
Despite picking up multiple titles on the floor and at the Euro Tour, it was his TV form that let Stephen Bunting down in 2026, with early exits from major events becoming a common event for the fan favourite.
Furthermore, a disappointing display at the Premier League last year has resulted in Bunting finding himself at the bottom of the table when the 2025 edition came to a close.
However, the PDC have shown faith in the Bullet to right his wrongs in 2026.
Gerwyn Price
Last but certainly not least, the Iceman has also retained his place in the Premier League for the upcoming campaign.
Last year on tour, Gezzy picked up a plethora of floor titles, as well as winning his first Euro Tour title in two years. The Welshman also won in Poland on the World Series last year, as well as reaching the play-offs at last year’s Premier League.
It is certainly worth noting that Gerwyn Price picked up three nightly wins and hit two nine-darters along the way, before losing 11-7 to Luke Littler in the semi-finals.
The Premier League of Darts 2026 begins at 7pm on Thursday, February 5, with the first stop of the darting arena tour around the country being Newcastle.
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