Gary has the title. Duane has secured second. But with nine league matches remaining and the Springwell Cup final still to come, the final week of the 2026 Depot Darts League has plenty left to settle.
After 201 completed league games, attention turns to the battle for Champions League qualification, the remaining positions near the top and a Friday showdown that could give the newly crowned champion a league-and-cup double.
For some, the season is already finished. For others, the most consequential darts may still be ahead.
The top ten qualify for the 2027 DDL Champions League. Seven players are already beyond the reach of those outside the qualification places: Gary, Duane, Duncan, Angus, Chalkey, John L and Scott.
That leaves Adam, Stewart, Jon G and Dean S competing for the final three spots.
Adam faces the uncomfortable prospect of watching events unfold without being able to influence them. His league campaign is complete, with 40 points from 28 matches. He currently sits eighth, but his position is not yet mathematically secure.
Stewart is ninth on 37 points and has one remaining opportunity to strengthen his position: Thursday’s meeting with Adrian. Victory would take him to 40 and force the chasing players to respond to a higher target.
Jon G occupies tenth on 36 points, two ahead of Dean S. His final week is demanding, with Duncan on Tuesday followed by John L on Wednesday. Two victories would lift him to 42; anything less could leave him watching the other results closely.
Dean S begins outside the qualification places on 34 points, but with a clear route back into contention. He faces John L on Tuesday and Matt on Wednesday. Two wins would take him to 40, level with Adam — and Dean currently holds the better highest checkout, 48 against 38.
That detail matters. Equal points are separated by highest checkout, so the finishing double could influence more than the result of a single match.
Monday brings Gary against Duane, a meeting between the confirmed champion and runner-up.
Gary’s 64 points, built on 21 wins and a draw from 26 matches, are already beyond everyone else’s reach. Duane has 58 with one game remaining; Duncan, currently third on 51, can reach no more than 57.
Their league positions are settled, but the fixture still offers a fitting contest between the season’s top two. Gary then closes his league programme against John L on Thursday before returning for the cup final the following day.
Below them, third place remains worth watching. Duncan has two matches left, Angus can finish on 51, and John L’s three remaining fixtures give him a possible maximum of 52. Qualification may be secure for those players, but their final positions are not all decided.
Among those who have completed their schedules, Chalkey has given himself an encouraging finish to remember.
Victories over Angus and Matt brought him the latest Player of the Week award and lifted his final total to 45 points, with 15 wins from 28 matches. Whatever movement follows around him, his place in next year’s Champions League is secure.
Scott has also finished, ending on 43 points with qualification assured. Adam’s 40-point campaign, meanwhile, illustrates how competitive the final places have become: eleven wins and seven draws have put him in a strong position, but he must still wait for confirmation.
The final week culminates on Friday 30 October, when Gary and Angus meet in the Springwell Cup final.
The format is 301, best of five legs, with the first player to three taking the title.
For Gary, it is the opportunity to add the cup to his league championship. For Angus, who enters the final week on 48 points after beating Stewart on Friday, it offers the chance to finish his season with a trophy of his own.
The longer format presents a different challenge from the league’s single-leg contests. A lost opening leg need not decide the match, but neither finalist can afford to let missed chances accumulate.
The league champion is known. The runner-up is confirmed. Yet between the qualification battle and the cup final, the DDL still has a final week capable of changing how several players remember their season.