2026 Premier League Darts Favourites

 

The dust might have only just settled on the PDC World Masters, with Luke Littler taking home the trophy in Milton Keynes. However, all eyes are already trained on the 2026 Premier League Darts tournament and its eight competitors. Will Littler capitalise on his success at the World Masters and make a meal of the competition? Will reigning champ Luke Humphries score a second consecutive win this May? Or will a previous world number one bounce back to their former glory and take it home? Below, we weigh up some of the obvious favourites for Premier League success in 2026.

 

Luke Humphries

After taking home the Premier League trophy in 2025, reigning supreme Luke Humphries seems like a surefire bet for success in 2026. Winner of no less than 24 PDC titles, 8 of which have been major, the previous world number one didn’t earn his nickname of “Cool Hand” for no reason. While he faces stiff opposition all round, not least from the corner of Luke Littler, who recently displaced him to world number two in the rankings, Humphries is keen to retain his Premier League title at any cost. His turn at the 2026 World Championship is a good indicator of how well he’s likely to fare in this year’s Premier League. Despite a strong start against Ted Evetts and Paul Lim, he ultimately came undone in the quarter-finals, losing out to Gian van Veen. Will 2026’s Premier League see a repeat of his ill-fated bout with the Dutch Giant? The jury’s still out, but it’d be foolish to discount Humphries this early when you consider his previous tournament prowess and last year’s Premier League performance.

 

Luke Littler

As the current world number one, Luke Littler is an easy choice if you’re looking for a clear horse to back this year. With 11 PDC major titles to his name already, the 19-year-old Nuke from Warrington has only suffered one noteworthy loss in his career as a major darts player. With accolades spanning the World Championship, Grand Slam, and World Masters, he’s rightly considered an unstoppable force that even the heaviest hitters competing in the 2026 Premier League Darts will have a hard time keeping at bay.

 

Michael van Gerwen

Michael van Gerwen might have been dethroned as world number one in 2022, but it’s worth remembering that Mighty Mike had held that title since 2014. Three-time PDC World Champion and the reigning top dog of the World Series Finals, this Dutchman deserves fair consideration when weighing up favourites for the 2026 Premier League. He’s already made a strong start at Night One of the 2026 Premier League Darts, seeing his ranking rise to world number three after a stellar performance that saw him beat fellow Dutch player Gian van Veen. He also comfortably saw off English players Stephen Bunting and Luke Humphries during the quarter finals, ending both bouts with a 6-2 victory. While many eyes are fixed on standing champion Humphries to hold his title, van Gerwen has quickly proven himself a player not to mess with in 2026.

 

Gian van Veen

While last year might have belonged to Humphries and Littler, Gian van Veen can confidently add his name to 2025’s top tier of darting talent. After edging out Humphries to win the European Championship in October, van Veen saw his ranking rise, displacing Michael van Gerwen as the top Dutch player. While van Gerwen might have trounced van Veen on night one of Premier League Darts in Newcastle, pundits are still throwing their weight behind this Dutchman to do well and carve a space for himself at one of the tournament’s final match-ups in May. Do you have faith that the Giant has what it takes to go all the way in 2026? Why not place a wager on van Veen at one of the many betting sites reviewed by Noxwin?

 

Jonny Clayton

His star might have waned in recent years, but Jonny Clayton is certainly one worthy of a comeback in 2026. The Welsh number one scored a major win in 2023 at the PDC World Cup, but his last run of good luck and Premier League glory was way back in 2021. Nonetheless, the Ferret has been hard at work clawing back some kudos over the past twelve months. In 2025, he won his third Euro Tour title and comfortably reached the semi-finals of both the Grand Slam and the UK Open. More memorably, he lost out at the final hurdle at the 2025 World Masters, placing second behind Luke Humphries in a 6-5 defeat. While the likes of Luke Littler are more likely to give Humphries sleepless nights at the moment, you’d be a fool for counting out this Welshman going into 2026.