As 2026 hits the business end of the season, all form for the top players will count towards their chances for a Premier League spot in 2027. Ambiguous on the format for next year, the field could expand to 10 players as we see a switch away from the eight-player format it has used since 2022. Not confirmed; however, we could still see some switches in the eight-man field after the second year running with Littler, Humphries, and Price at the O2.

Needing competition, Ross Smith has proved this year that he can beat the best, winning the World Series of Darts Finals and the European Championship on television and picking up four other titles, which could mean a player is dropped. Despite finishing fifth last year, Bunting may find himself the first name in the firing line with his lacklustre 2026 form and a second year running where he has failed to make the playoffs. A popular figure, could he be axed for a new face, or could he stay for one last chance at the title?

Who could leave the Premier League?

In 2026, Bunting has fallen to World Number 14, the lowest position he has been in for two years, and now sits below Ross Smith in the PDC Order of Merit. Yet why are we talking about Bunting and not the three players who finished below him in the Premier League last season? Michael Van Gerwen, Gian Van Veen and Josh Rock all finished below The Bullet last year, but this doesn’t tell the full picture.

With Gian Van Veen securing his place in the top 4, his inclusion is guaranteed. His fellow Dutchman Michael Van Gerwen sits in a less fortunate position, with his 2026 ranking seeing a similar fall to Bunting of seven places, down from world number 3, and continuing to spiral on stage as well. Losing the first round of the World Grand Prix and not reaching a quarter-final at any major this year, his form would suggest he would be replaced.

Van Gerwen in action.

Commercially, Van Gerwen still draws in casual fans, but his drawing power alone may not outweigh the chance to bring Ross Smith or James Wade into the Premier League. What’s more, Bunting, Van Gerwen and Van Veen all finished on the same points: 18, meaning Josh Rock sitting at the bottom with 8 also seems dispensable.

Failing to win his maiden singles major so far, Rock’s form hasn’t been as good as last year. However, the Northern Irishman has Premier League-tailored qualities that could leave him a chance of staying in, like big moments and a large personality, personified by his heroic Belfast nine-darter. It's clear then that there is room for at least one, if not two, players at the expense of any players on this list, and with Wade just missing out last year, he takes the first spot. Ross Smith will be in contention, though, and given how close it was last year, with Bunting receiving a call just 10 minutes before the announcement to confirm his placement, this could be a similar story.

Premier League Of Darts Table 2026

In 2026, Bunting hasn’t been better than Smith. Smudger’s average, win rate and checkout percentage are superior to Bunting’s, and this has resulted in Smith winning far more than Bunting’s prize fund. Winning £446,000 in 2026, Smith has picked up a significant sum in just 10 months, and this is due to his performances and capitalisation in big games. Winning his maiden European tour got the monkey off his back, and since then, he has averaged 96.33 and has hit a 100+ average in 36 games.

With an elite 68.5% win rate, there’s an argument to be made that Smith could give any player a game at the minute. Talking to OnlineDarts in September, he said, “If you look at the year-to-date in the rankings, I think I’m sitting fourth or something like that. If you’re sitting in the top four of the year-to-date, you’re doing well,” reinforcing that, although he isn’t in the top four to guarantee a place, he’s been playing well enough to warrant a position there. The European Tour and floor titles are no surprise, as Smith has always been dangerous on tour with his strong maximum hitting and killer instinct.

Yet this year, he’s developed his game. A 2022 European Championship winner, his TV record until this year looked like a one-off, but two televised titles in six weeks have turned it into a pattern. This is what makes his World Series of Darts Finals win so major, as winning another title on TV in front of a large crowd shows what he’s been working towards and shows depth in his game. Standing out from players like Wessel Nijman, who have failed to deliver on TV, these wins have made Smith a candidate for a spot because the PDC can now have full confidence that he can perform well on TV, beating Gerwyn Price with relative ease 11-5 in the final, reeling off six straight legs to beat the Iceman. Five weeks later, he beat Price again, 11-7 in the European Championship semi-final, before lifting the title in Dortmund for the second time.

Smith vs Bunting 

Conversely, Bunting hasn’t made his mark yet in 2026 and is running out of time. Winning just 56.6% of his games in 2026, his average has been marginally lower at 95.60, and despite these margins, it shows in his results. As a seeded player, Bunting should see European Tour events as an opportunity to get ranking money and momentum when against a more diluted field. Bunting has reached just the 1 quarter-final in European Tour events in 12 appearances. Five weeks later, he beat Price again, 11-7 in the European Championship semi-final, before lifting the title in Dortmund for the second time. Putting this into perspective for the whole of 2026, his Premier League campaign wasn’t a 5th-place performance: he had the same points as 6th and 7th and was eight points off Gerwyn Price in 4th. Therefore, this “good” first half of the year is covered by a night 16 win where the Premier League was already decided.

Commercially, though, there’s one clear option. Having platforms that exceed 100,000 followers and interactions, Bunting brings attention to the PDC and especially the Premier League, giving a pathway for new fans who discovered him through social media to watch darts. With his “Titanium” walk-on and ever-growing presence in the darts scene, releasing a new plushie and bucket hats, he’s a fan favourite and brings eyes. Smith doesn’t quite have the same attraction. Failing to win down under twice and with an aggressive but far-from-infectious stage presence, he faces similar problems as Chris Dobey.

Bunting has a core fan base; Smith doesn’t, and his good floor time doesn’t contribute to any casual viewer who flicks through channels. In interviews, Bunting is gratefully ambitious, knowing his level and his popularity, stating in February with OnlineDarts, “I still feel like I’ve got a lot to give… Not just playing darts, but the fan base, the walk-on, everything like that."

Almost commercially positioning himself into the obligation of Premier League selection, Smith’s approach of being grateful doesn’t bring the same value. In the same interview with Online Darts, he said, “It was harder work being a lorry driver, so I’m grateful to be where we are," a heartfelt story, but one that doesn’t sell tickets the way “Let's go Bunting Mental” does. This ceiling makes a Ross Smith Vs Jonny Clayton match feel a lot less significant than a Bunting vs Clayton, as there’s a story of wanting more from Bunting. But there aren’t clear viewership numbers, so who can say a crowd can’t warm to players over one year?

The Statistical Breakdown

Winning the Players Championship 5, European Tour 7, Players Championship 20 and European Tour 11, Smith hasn’t dropped his level once this year. Winning with a tonne-plus average in three of those four finals, he could have had six floor titles, with two runner-ups at the European Tour 5 and 13. Against players in the Premier League, Smith has won 10 times and lost 8, with a 5-0 win rate against Van Veen and Rock.

On the other hand, Bunting has lost 9 games and won just 1. Despite being a renowned power scorer, Smith’s checkouts have pieced themselves together to a point where, in the last 3 months, Smith has had a 45.56% checkout rate and a checkout percentage of 53.04% when his opponent was on a double. In deciding legs, he’s won 15 out of 24, meaning that in first-to-six format, which saw 31 last-leg deciders last campaign, he’s in good stead. Smith revealed, “I’m not going to sit here and lie. Of course, I want to be in it. If you give me the opportunity, I’m going to grab it with both hands … I think I’m ready, but that’s not up to me, is it?”

Smith is almost ready for the Premier League. He has had years outside the top level, and after years of knocking on the door, the time seems to have come. For a player outside the top eight, he’s everything the PDC could ask. The disappointment down under was redeemed in Amsterdam, and his two European runner-ups are redeemed by his two European Tour trophies, and Dortmund added a second European Championship to his CV. The last piece in the jigsaw is a Thursday night win.

Smith 2026 Finals 

Bunting’s numbers tell a more complicated story, and the Premier League is where his case is strongest. Averaging 98.49 across the campaign, The Bullet sat fourth of the eight players, just 0.02 behind Gerwyn Price and ahead of Clayton, Van Gerwen and Van Veen.

He beat every one of his seven opponents at least once, and on his best nights he was unplayable, averaging 106.63, 106.09 and 106.37 on his way to two nightly titles. The problem was the double. Bunting’s 34.98% checkout was the lowest in the league, and three 6–5 defeats, twice to Price and once to Clayton, show how close he came to a higher finish. Off the Thursday-night stage, the decline is harder to ignore.

His average has dropped from 99.14 to 93.42 over the last eighteen months, his first nine from 109.93 to 100.26, and in deciding legs he has fallen from 106.36 to 91.01, a drop of over fifteen points when it matters most.

The frustrating part is that his finishing has improved, with his functional doubles climbing from 44.60% to 48.21%, meaning he simply isn’t getting to the double as often as he used to.

There have been flashes, with a Players Championship 3 final and semi-finals at Players Championships 15 and 22, averaging 104.04 in the latter, but no ranking title to show for it. Speaking to OnlineDarts in February, Bunting admitted, “I had a great start to the year, not the best end to the year, so I can understand why people were saying I shouldn’t be in.” Eight months later, the same sentence could be written about 2026, and this time he has no top-four ranking to fall back on.

Quarterly Comparison 

Verdict

With Wade first in line, the question is whether there is room for one more, and on 2026 form, Smith has earned it. Ahead on win rate, titles, prize money, 100-plus averages and results against Premier League opposition, Smudger has done everything a player outside the eight can do, and he knows how quickly the chance could pass him by.

“It’s a short career, and I can quickly find myself out of this squad if I’m not careful,” he told Online Darts in September. “So yeah, that’s my mindset, I need to be in the Premier League.”

Bunting’s case rests on what he brings rather than what he has won: the walk-on, the fan base and a Premier League record better than fifth place suggests. This isn’t nothing, and in a league that sells tickets as much as it crowns champions, the PDC will weigh it heavily. But the Premier League has to reward form at some point, and after a second campaign without a playoff place and a season without a ranking title, the Bullet’s best argument is his popularity.

In February, Bunting called his selection “relief”, adding, “I know that I need to work hard again this year to make sure I’m in it next year.” He did work hard, and on Thursday nights it showed, but Smith did more everywhere else.

If the field grows to ten, there is room for both, and the PDC gets the fan favourite and the in-form contender. If it stays at eight, six titles, two of them won on television in the last six weeks, should beat the man from St Helen, and Bunting could find out about his fate ten minutes before the announcement once again, this time with a very different outcome.