PDC Stats Analyst Christopher Kempf assesses the sport’s top ten stars – based on their last 200 legs played – ahead of Thursday evening’s Premier League Night Six in Nottingham. #1 Averages – Luke Littler #1 OChE – Luke Littler#1 Doubles – Wessel Nijman#1 171-180 – Ross Smith#1 99, 101+ Checkout – Thibault Tricole The Ladbrokes UK Open was […]
PDC Stats Analyst Christopher Kempf assesses the sport’s top ten stars – based on their last 200 legs played – ahead of Thursday evening’s Premier League Night Six in Nottingham.
#1 Averages – Luke Littler
#1 OChE – Luke Littler
#1 Doubles – Wessel Nijman
#1 171-180 – Ross Smith
#1 99, 101+ Checkout – Thibault Tricole
The Ladbrokes UK Open was emblematic of the state of play in 2026 – even when Luke Littler is not playing his best game, he still has more than enough in the tank to come away with the title.
From surviving a close contest with Kevin Doets – in which Littler was averaging in the 80s for much of the game – to a shaky 11-9 victory over Josh Rock, where Littler missed three darts at double on three occasions in the first four legs, Littler did not look like the world-beating juggernaut of January when he bulldozed to his second World title.
Littler’s OChE resultantly dropped four points to 66 over the past two weeks – nevertheless, the world number one has won his last nine matches, largely because his opponents have been unable to reach top gear against him, and since Littler keeps recording brilliant visits when he needs them most.
The leading doubles hitter has passed from Jonny Clayton to Wessel Nijman, mainly due to his 10-1 demolition of Dutch idol Raymond van Barneveld in which Nijman completed every checkout less than 85 which he attempted in the match.
The Dutch star now holds the fifth highest average and fourth highest OChE in the PDC after a substantial boost from his two 100+ average performances in Minehead.
With such impressive stats over his last 200 legs, and in light of appearing near the top of the Form Guide consistently in 2026, it would be easy to argue a TV quarterfinal is around the corner for Nijman, especially after claiming a fourth Players Championship title this year.
While he may be a 64% favourite to win any leg against average Pro Tour opposition, his 10-5 loss to Gerwyn Price at the UK Open demonstrated that the opposition he will face en route to that desired televised quarterfinal is much more formidable.
Jonny Clayton may be on top of the Premier League table after having won his first match on five consecutive Thursdays, but the Form Guide suggests that he would do well to retain it.
Littler, Price and Luke Humphries all hold OChE ratings greater than 64, yet none of the other five Premier League players currently perform at a rate that would win them 59% of legs on the Pro Tour.
Clayton has defied the stats to beat Littler twice so far in the Premier League, but could not handle a 106 average from the World Champion even in front of a home Welsh crowd in Cardiff.
The weakest link in the Premier League is currently the winless Josh Rock, whose 54 OChE leaves him ranked 21st in the PDC.
£35,000 in ranking money from the UK Open is an excellent consolation prize, but Rock will need to rise above his 95 average and 15-darter rate of 39% to kick on in the Premier League.