Luke Littler will not defend his Players Championship Finals title in Minehead later this month, but the world champion could be joined on the sidelines by several of darts' biggest names. Gerwyn Price, Gary Anderson and Nathan Aspinall are among those facing an anxious conclusion to the 2026 Players Championship season, with Josh Rock, Raymond van Barneveld and Peter Wright also in serious danger of missing out.

Just two tournaments remain before the 64-player field is confirmed, with Players Championship 33 and 34 taking place at Leicester's Mattioli Arena on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 November. The current qualification cut-off stands at £31,750, but with significant prize money still available and several former world champions struggling for position, the final standings could look very different by Thursday evening.

Gary Anderson, Nathan Aspinall and Josh Rock facing an uphill battle

Gary Anderson is among the most prominent players currently outside the top 64, although the Scot remains within striking distance of qualification. The two-time world champion sits 68th on £29,750, just £2,000 behind Wesley Plaisier, who currently occupies the final qualifying position.

A run to the last 16 in either of the remaining tournaments would earn Anderson £3,000 and take him beyond the present cut-off. That alone would not guarantee qualification, with several players immediately above him also looking to add to their totals, but the 2014 Players Championship Finals winner has considerably less ground to make up than some of his biggest rivals.

Nathan Aspinall faces the prospect of missing a tournament in which he reached the final just twelve months ago. The former World Matchplay champion was beaten 11-8 by Littler in the 2025 Minehead showpiece, having defeated Josh Rock in the quarter-finals and Jermaine Wattimena in the last four.

Now Aspinall finds himself down in 78th position on £26,500, leaving him £5,250 adrift of the current qualification mark. A semi-final appearance, worth £6,500, would lift his total to £33,000, although with fourteen places to make up, even that might not be sufficient by the time the final rankings are settled.

Aspinall lost to Littler in the final of the 2025 Players Championship Finals

Rock faces a remarkably similar predicament. The Northern Irishman sits 80th with £26,000, £5,750 behind Plaisier. Despite establishing himself among the world's leading players, Rock is facing the possibility of missing Minehead altogether, just a year after reaching the quarter-finals.

Raymond van Barneveld is also in trouble. The five-time world champion occupies 81st place on £25,750, meaning he needs to make up at least £6,000 over the final two days. A semi-final would lift him to £32,250, but the performances of those around the qualification line could leave him needing significantly more.

For Peter Wright, the situation is more severe still. The two-time world champion, who lifted the Players Championship Finals trophy in 2021, is down in 86th on £23,750. His £8,000 deficit means that even a semi-final in one of the remaining events would leave him short of the current cut-off unless accompanied by further prize money on the other day. A final appearance, worth £10,000, would offer a much stronger opportunity to revive his hopes.

Ryan Joyce is another familiar name facing a difficult task from 91st, but few established stars are in a worse position than Dimitri Van den Bergh. The former World Matchplay champion sits 119th on just £13,250, leaving him £18,500 behind Plaisier. With £15,000 available for winning a Players Championship event, even a tournament victory would not be enough on its own to get the Belgian back into the provisional top 64.

Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith still in danger despite sitting inside top 64

While Anderson, Aspinall and Rock are chasing qualification from outside the top 64, Gerwyn Price faces a different kind of pressure. Despite winning Players Championship 6 earlier in the season, the Welshman sits just 58th on £34,000, giving him a cushion of only £2,250 over the current cut-off.

The 2021 world champion reached the semi-finals of last year's Players Championship Finals, losing 11-8 to eventual champion Littler, but could now miss the tournament altogether if he fails to add to his total and the chasing pack produces strong results in Leicester.

Michael Smith is another former world champion who cannot yet take his place for granted. The 2023 world champion occupies 56th position with £35,750, £4,000 above the provisional qualification line. Although he has slightly more breathing space than Price, his place remains unconfirmed with two events still to play.

The situation is even tighter for Mike De Decker. The Belgian, who claimed the World Grand Prix title in 2024, finds himself 61st with £33,250, only £1,500 ahead of Plaisier.

Former European champion Ritchie Edhouse is also close to the danger zone in 60th on £33,500, while Bradley Brooks and David Sharp sit 62nd and 63rd respectively, both with £32,500.

Plaisier currently holds the final spot with £31,750, but Henry Coates is only £500 behind in 65th. Madars Razma is a further £1,000 back, with Anderson among those hoping to overhaul the players immediately above him.

With £1,250 awarded for reaching the last 64 at each Players Championship event, even a single victory could have major consequences for the players clustered around the qualification line.

Players Championship Finals qualification: Which big names are in danger?

The following standings show the positions of several notable players after Players Championship 32. Only the top 64 on the final Players Championship Order of Merit will qualify for Minehead.

The gaps are measured against the provisional £31,750 cut-off after PC32, not the final amount required to qualify.

Each of the remaining two tournaments offers £15,000 to the winner, £10,000 to the runner-up, £6,500 to semi-finalists and £4,000 to quarter-finalists. Reaching the last 16 earns £3,000, while the last 32 brings £2,000. Those prize-money levels leave scope for substantial movement across both days, particularly among players currently separated by only a few thousand pounds.

At the opposite end of the rankings, Wessel Nijman leads the Players Championship Order of Merit with £154,500, followed by Chris Dobey on £118,750 and Kevin Doets on £113,250. Beau Greaves is another standout performer in seventh on £70,000, while Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen are all comfortably inside the qualifying positions.

Littler, meanwhile, has no possibility of joining them. Having competed in just two Players Championship events this season, the defending champion sits 128th with £10,500. His confirmed absence from the final double-header means he will surrender the trophy he won against Aspinall last November without attempting to defend it.

Twelve months ago, Littler, Aspinall, Price and Jermaine Wattimena contested the semi-finals in Minehead. Heading into the final two qualification events of 2026, Littler is already out, Aspinall is fourteen places below the cut-off and Price is still looking over his shoulder. Of last year's four semi-finalists, only Wattimena, currently sixth in the standings, has his place comfortably secured.