Speculation over the 2027 Premier League Darts line-up is already in full swing, even though the tournament is still several months away. At Dartsnews.com, we have put ourselves in the shoes of the PDC decision-makers to predict which eight players will receive an invitation. The Premier League Darts is not a ranking event, but with a winner's prize of £350,000, it is the most lucrative tournament after the World Championship. The participants are invited by the PDC in consultation with TV rights holder Sky Sports. The four highest-ranked players in the world rankings are generally assured of a place, after which four more players are selected to complete the eight-player line-up.
This year's Premier League Darts line-up consisted of Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Gian van Veen, Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton, Stephen Bunting and Josh Rock. Looking ahead to 2027, we consider four players absolute certainties: Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Gian van Veen and Gerwyn Price. Littler won the Premier League Darts for the second time in his career this year, defeating compatriot Luke Humphries 11-10 in a thrilling final. The still only 19-year-old Englishman has won every major this year apart from the World Series of Darts Finals and the World Grand Prix, and as world number one he holds a considerable lead over his nearest challengers. Humphries, who won the tournament in 2025, remains second in the world rankings and recently ended a period of more than a year without a major title by winning the World Grand Prix. Van Veen, 24, made his Premier League debut this year and finished seventh. Although he did not win a ranking title in 2026, he continues to impress with strong performances at the major tournaments and has firmly established himself in the world's top four. Price reached the semi-finals of this year's Premier League, narrowly losing to Littler, and had already reached the final in 2023. Like Van Veen, he is still waiting for a major title in 2026, with his last major triumph coming back in 2022, but his scoring power and stage presence make him a candidate the PDC will find difficult to overlook.
Michael van Gerwen's participation is far from certain for the first time in years. The Dutchman has made fourteen consecutive appearances, won seven titles—a record—and reached at least a semi-final in every edition but three. However, he is currently only ninth in the world rankings and could drop as low as 19th in the projected rankings after the World Championship. He did not progress beyond the last 16 in any individual major this year. Should he receive an invitation, it will be mainly thanks to his remarkable record and status as one of the biggest names in the sport. With the European Championship, Grand Slam of Darts and Players Championship Finals still on the calendar, the 37-year-old has several opportunities to turn his season around, and a strong result at one of those major events could provide a significant boost to his Premier League bid.
Of the remaining participants from this year's line-up, Jonny Clayton perhaps has the strongest case for returning. The 2021 Premier League winner enjoyed a fairly consistent season, reaching finals on both the Players Championship circuit and the European Tour, and reached at least the quarter-finals in most major tournaments. Stephen Bunting's situation is considerably less positive. 'The Bullet' finished fifth in this year's Premier League, but his selection for the 2026 edition had already raised questions beforehand. He has slipped to 14th in the world rankings and will need at least one eye-catching result—ideally a major title—to improve his chances. Josh Rock made his Premier League debut this year but finished eighth and last. He reached the semi-finals of two majors but a genuine breakthrough, in the form of a major final or title, has remained elusive. Eighth in the world rankings, Rock has a strong position on paper, but that may not be enough to earn another invitation.
James Wade has played in the Premier League Darts twelve times and won the title in 2009, but has not received another invitation since 2022. At the age of 43, Wade has climbed back to fifth in the world rankings. He reached the final of the UK Open and recently progressed to the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix. His fifth place in the world rankings and recent performances give him strong grounds to earn a return. Among other Dutch contenders, Danny Noppert is currently seventh in the world rankings but was not invited to the most recent edition despite an outstanding 2025 season. Wessel Nijman, 26, is enjoying an excellent season with six Players Championship titles and two European Tour victories, and would be seventh in the projected world rankings after the World Championship. However, he has not progressed beyond the last 16 in any major this year. Outsiders include Nathan Aspinall, who reached the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix, and Ross Smith, who has won two European Tour events, two Players Championship titles and the World Series of Darts Finals in 2026. Gary Anderson, despite being tenth in the world rankings, has previously made it clear that he is no longer interested in playing in the Premier League.
Our prediction for the eight players currently in contention for selection for the 2027 Premier League Darts is: 1. Luke Littler, 2. Luke Humphries, 3. Gian van Veen, 4. Gerwyn Price, 5. Jonny Clayton, 6. James Wade, 7. Josh Rock, 8. Ross Smith. This does not yet take the results of the coming tournaments into account, and those events could obviously change the picture.
