PDC Form Guide: Greaves the most improved darter, Nijman tops the list as Premier League Darts players analysed with playoffs race heating up

Wessel Nijman continues to make an impression at the highest level in the sport. The Dutchman collected his fifth title of the year at Players Championship 12, and the stats back up a player in blistering form. This comes from extensive statistical analysis by Christopher Kempf as he delved into the form of PDC players based on the last 200 legs.

According to Kempf’s numbers, he is bettering the likes of world number one Luke Littler in the process. Nijman has risen to the top of the form guide in terms of leg-winning efficiency. His 0.71 advantage in OChE is aided by him coming out on top in 54% of his legs in 15 darts or fewer (Littler, the OChE #2, wins only 51%) and winning 133 of those last 200 in total.

His form on the floor is almost unstoppable. Seemingly only a world class performance will keep the 25-year-old at bay. He has won 26 of his last 28 matches on the ProTour. One of these losses came to Gary Anderson after Nijman averaged over 105 with five 180’s thrown in for good measure.

With the World Matchplay the next big ranking major on the horizon, Nijman is in great shape to challenge the best. He is second for averages and third for doubles in the PDC, making for scary reading if you are drawn against him.

While Nijman leads the way on the OChE, a new name has emerged from the depths. Buea Greaves came out victorious in Players Championship 11, making history while at it. ‘Beau ‘n’ Arrow’ reached two consecutive quarterfinals before this, showing she is a player on the rise.

Now up to 25th ranked player in OChE, this boost has made her the most improved player in darts. Over the last 200 legs, she has hit as many maximums as Michael van Gerwen and even more than Gerwyn Price, regularly battering the treble 20 bed.

While the World Matchplay qualification still seems quite far off, albeit a much more realistic target, there seems to be no worry about cementing herself as a fully-fledged Tour Card holder by the end of the year.

The race to the O2 is really hotting up for the Premier League Darts. While Littler and Jonny Clayton have booked their spots for Night 17, there are still two positions left to be decided.

Seemingly, Price is best suited to qualify. Another two points in Aberdeen bolsters his spot in third, and the stats behind his recent efforts on the oche are promising (#3 in the PDC in OChE, #2 in doubles).

Scoring has most certainly not been a problem for world number two Luke Humphries. Having averaged 99.41 over the last 200 legs, only Price tops him in this category. However, the troubles experienced on the outer ring see him trail Dutch duo van Gerwen and Gian van Veen despite reaching the final in Aberdeen. The gap has closed, but it will be a nervy few weeks for the reigning champion.