Forget world rankings, close your Order of Merit spreadsheets – the PDC Form Guide is darts’ answer to a lie detector test: brutally honest, slightly unforgiving, and based entirely on the last 200 legs played by every Tour Card holder. No reputation, no excuses, just cold numbers.
And right now, Christopher Kempf's numbers say what most of us already know – Luke Littler is operating in his own universe. The 18-year-old has clocked a 103.22 average across his last 200 legs, which is not so much form as it is permanent residence in the stratosphere. He shares the 100-plus club with Josh Rock, who isn’t exactly slouching with a 101.11. For all the hype, the stats back it up: Littler is making the board look bigger, Rock is making it look smaller for his opponents.
LUKE LITTER CAREER STATS : Read the full dartsdatabase.co.uk detail
Meanwhile, world number one, Luke Humphries is experiencing something most players call being human. Out of the top ten entirely, Humphries has stumbled since his first-round Matchplay exit and has yet to rediscover the aura that carried him through the winter. Australia and New Zealand didn’t help – no trophies, no momentum, and certainly no spot in this particular table.
In third sits Gerwyn Price, averaging just under the ton at 99.90 with 44.52% on the doubles. For a man called The Iceman, he’s been red hot, recently reaching the World Cup final with compatriot Jonny Clayton. Speaking of Clayton, he’s tucked in at fourth – still Mr. Reliable, though his Matchplay semi-final exit to James Wade showed even he can’t avoid the Wade tractor beam forever.
Stephen Bunting rounds out the top five, and though his average (98.51) sparkles, his doubles (41.16%) rank him among the more forgiving finishers on this list. Mixed results have followed him since the last update, but you’d be brave to bet against a man whose nickname is literally The Bullet.
One surprise name is Bradley Brooks, who only just reclaimed his Tour Card and has muscled his way into sixth. With a 97.98 average and 42% on the doubles*, he’s proving he’s more than just a development tour footnote. Winning Players Championship 21 has clearly boosted the confidence – now he’s firing like he’s been here for years.
SIGN UP FOR A DARTS WORLD MEMBERSHIP TODAY!
The rest of the top ten features plenty of familiar faces: James Wade, still defying time and logic; Gian van Veen, the fearless Dutchman who sent Humphries packing at the Matchplay; Damon Heta, hitting doubles like a man possessed (50.45% – the best of the lot); and Nathan Aspinall, forever the scrapper, rounding out the list.
So what’s the point of this alternative ranking? Simple: it shows who’s actually in nick heading into the business end of the year. With the World Grand Prix on the horizon and Ally Pally looming, this is the sort of form guide you’d actually want to sneak a glance at. Forget reputations – this is about who’s dangerous right now.
LUKE LITTLER'S BREAKTHROUGH: The Nuke explodes at the MODUS Super Series
And based on the numbers, Littler isn’t just dangerous. He’s nuclear.
PDC Form Guide – Top 10 Players (Last 200 Legs)
Rank | Player | AVG | 171-180 | 99, 101+ C/O | Doubles % |
1 | Luke Littler | 103.22 | 100 | 12 | 40.50% |
2 | Josh Rock | 101.11 | 89 | 17 | 43.82% |
3 | Gerwyn Price | 99.90 | 77 | 10 | 44.52% |
4 | Jonny Clayton | 99.00 | 71 | 13 | 45.80% |
5 | Stephen Bunting | 98.51 | 73 | 11 | 41.16% |
6 | Bradley Brooks | 97.98 | 82 | 15 | 42.00% |
7 | James Wade | 97.74 | 51 | 11 | 45.48% |
8 | Gian van Veen | 97.71 | 66 | 8 | 44.08% |
9 | Damon Heta | 97.23 | 60 | 15 | 50.45% |
10 | Nathan Aspinall | 97.08 | 74 | 14 | 39.17% |
*It should be noted that Brooks' legs are away from camera and at non major events whereas a far higher percentage of the other nine player are from major and / or televised competitions.
For full interviews, stories and more in depth coverage of everything darts, together with the latest issues of our legendary publications, head on over to dartsworld.com