Darts players who NEED to earn/defend prize money at 2026 PDC World Championship

Alex Walsh

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Darts players who NEED to earn/defend prize money at 2026 PDC World Championship image

At the 2026 PDC Darts World Championship, a new prize money system will be introduced, with a prize pot that is 2x larger than last year's event.

In form players defending little money will look to take advantage of players defending a lot or players struggling to get results.

Darts players in danger of dropping on the order of merit at the 2026 PDC WC

Here are the players who need to perform well at Ally Pally.

MORE: 2026 PDC Darts World Championship: Draw, schedule, format and prize money

Rob Cross

Cross has slowly slipped down the standings, as he hasn't won a lot of games recently.

He's defending £100,000 from his semifinal appearance in 2024, meaning he could slip well outside the top-20.

His performances recently suggest that this could become a reality for 'Voltage.'

Chris Dobey

Dobey is in much less danger than Cross, but it would be helpful if he could defend the £50,000 that he'll be losing from his quarterfinal appearance in 2024.

He's made at least the quarterfinals in each of the last three WCs, so if he follows that trend, he will be fine.

In terms of making a last-minute run at the Premier League or ensuring that he stays in the top-16 on the order of merit, his result at this event will play a large role in that.

A tie with Cam Crabtree or Andrew Gilding in the second round could be the first serious threat Dobey faces if he advances.

Stephen Bunting

This one might come as a surprise, but Bunting needs to put together a good performance at a major.

He did just that last year, but since then, he hasn't followed it up with any memorable event campaigns.

Bunting is defending £35,000, which doesn't seem like much, but there are plenty of players behind him in the top-10 that can make a push to pass him for his #4 spot, at this event.

That would take away his ability to auto-qualify for the Premier League and would likely mean he won't return to the league in 2026.

Gary Anderson

Anderson is coming off a disappointing tournament last year, losing in the second round.

He'll be defending a fourth-round finish from 2024, but more importantly, he needs to pick up prize money at one of the few events he's playing at, as he plays in fewer tournaments at this stage of his career.

He doesn't need to pick up a lot, but it will be helpful if he wants to continue to be seeded at certain events, as well as stay in the top-16.

MORE: Predicting the PDC 2026 Premier League of Darts lineup

Damon Heta

2025 was a rough year for Heta after he was given pretty high expectations.

He's defending a fourth-round run from 2024, but has a lot of players looking to pass him and displace him out of the top-16 on the Main OoM.

For a player who plays a lot of the Pro Tour, this would force him to start playing on Fridays on the European Tour, something he hasn't done in quite some time.

Dave Chisnall and Mike De Decker

I chose to put these two names together because they are both in similar positions.

Both players have done very little at majors or tournaments in general in 2025 and are in danger of dropping down the rankings.

Chisnall will be defending more WC money, as he made the quarterfinals in 2024 and De Decker only made the second round in 2024, but they must get back on track with some wins.

Dimitri Van den Bergh

Dimitri took a break from the Tour this year and was featured in very few events.

As we approach the middle months of 2026, it will become crunch time for Van den Bergh, as he defends big campaigns from 2024, including his UK Open win and his semifinal run at the World Grand Prix.

It's been a few years since he had a quality run at Ally Pally, so it would help him in several ways to win at least a couple of games this year.

Michael Smith

Smith has also played less on Tour this year and has lost a lot of prize money from some of his past titles.

He's in danger of dropping out of the top 32, and he'll defend a fourth-round finish from 2024.

If Smith's injuries continue to hurt his performances, it will make events like this vital for him to get good results.

Joe Cullen

Cullen will fall out of the top 32 if he gets knocked out early, which is likely with the draw he was given.

He's defending a fourth-round finish from 2024, and there'll be a handful of players behind him on the order of merit that are playing well entering the event and will be defending little to no money from 2024.

Scott Williams

Williams' big semifinal run in 2024 will finally hit its two-year anniversary at this event, so he will drop significantly if he doesn't follow it up.

Williams is a talented player who could be headed for outside the top-40 on the Main OoM.