PDC Stats Analyst Christopher Kempf assesses the top ten PDC stars - based on their last 200 legs played - ahead of this week's BOYLE Sports World Grand Prix in Leicester.
#1 Averages - Luke Littler
#1 OChE - Gian van Veen
#1 Doubles - Gian van Veen
#1 171-180 - Luke Littler
#1 99, 101+ Checkout - Ricardo Pietreczko
The top two form players in the world - Luke Littler and Gian van Veen - are preparing for a high-stakes showdown in Leicester which will, in the space of 20 or 30 minutes, bring to an untimely end one of the world's most talented young player's title aspirations.
Though Littler has a miniscule lead of 0.05 points in averages over their last 200 legs, the advantage belongs to Van Veen, the world's #1 doubles player (at 47% to Littler's 40%) and a player who would win three legs more per hundred than Littler against the same opponents and with the same averages.
The most recent trio of floor events have boosted Van Veen's form to a 65 OChE rating - the highest in the world by two points - and 84 maxima, second only to Littler.
The high-scoring Littler may find the deck stacked against him in this event, as his unprecedented treble scoring has less sway over the outcome of a leg than in any other - much to 'The Giant's delight.
Mike De Decker's spectacular doubles performance in the 2024 World Grand Prix broke new ground for accuracy and won the Belgian his first ranking TV title, but on current form he may have a difficult time replicating that feat.
Though he ranks 18th in the PDC with his 95 average and is one of the top 10 Tour Card Holders in terms of maxima scored in his last 200 legs, the World Grand Prix places much more emphasis on accurate doubles than any of the tournaments in which "The Real Deal" participated.
That could spell trouble for De Decker, who ranks only 41st in accuracy, behind non-qualified players like Darren Beveridge and Thibault Tricole.
It may not be necessary for the 2025 World Grand Prix champion to hit 49% of his starting doubles, as De Decker did last year, but his current 38% might not be enough for another deep run.
2023 champion Luke Humphries now faces a series of events in the coming months which he must win if he is to maintain his ranking lead over Luke Littler, and prevent his teenaged rival from snatching away the world number one spot.
His form, however, has undergone some gratifying improvements over the past week, and Humphries is heading to Leicester as the world #2 in leg-winning efficiency and a respectable 13th - with 42% accuracy - when it comes to his doubles.
Humphries' most recent floor campaigns, while unsuccessful, have put his average closer to Littler's than it has been in months, and with 16 ton-plus finishes, 73 maxima and a majority of his legs won in 15 darts or fewer, he has a well-rounded CV with which to do battle at the World Grand Prix.
The opening round best-of-three format could favour an unexpected player, like Mike De Decker last year, who can fire off a streak of perfect double hits across multiple sets.
Such players include debutant Niko Springer, a top-ten doubles hitter on the strength of his last 200 legs, facing #4 averages player but #49 doubles player Stephen Bunting.
This also includes Ryan Joyce, a player with only two PDC titles to his name but a superb year-on-year track record of hitting doubles more often than most elite players, especially his preferred double 16.
Joyce is paired in the opening round with Josh Rock, one of this year's hottest players, but someone who is yet to win a match at the World Grand Prix.
If any tournament is likely to generate a winner not named Luke, this is the one.
*OChE (Ordinal Checkout Efficiency) explained:
OChE is a metric designed to evaluate the efficiency at which players convert their averages into legs won.
The statistic is the % of legs a player would expect to win on the ProTour, calculated from a weighted average of 4,5, 6 & 7 visit checkout rates.
Follow Christopher on Twitter @ochepedia