Humphries, who scraped into the field in 58th place on the Players Championship rankings, opens against European Champion Gian van Veen in a repeat of last month's European Championship final.
Van Veen has accelerated through the season with the vigour of a player in fast-forward, yet Humphries has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to peak when the stakes sharpen.
A third consecutive title here would add further authority to his growing major pedigree.
Little debuts as number one
The Main Stage evening session then hands the spotlight to Luke Littler, making his first competitive appearance as the new world number one.
The two-time Grand Slam and reigning world champion begins against Sweden's top player Jeffrey de Graaf as he chases what would be a sixth televised ranking trophy of the year.
Littler now creates the peculiar expectation that failure to win a title within a fortnight counts as a drought.
Elsewhere, top seed Gerwyn Price, a four-time Players Championship winner this season, meets Germany's Max Hopp, while world number four Stephen Bunting faces former European Champion Ritchie Edhouse in what should be a treble-heavy shoot-out.
Martin Schindler, Germany's number one, opens the night against a revitalised Michael Smith, while Gabriel Clemens meets Northern Ireland's World Cup winner Josh Rock in a fixture rich with scoring potential.
Nathan Aspinall closes the evening against Czechia's leading player, Karel Sedlacek.
Big names across the board
The afternoon programme on the Main Stage features three former finalists, as Rob Cross launches the entire tournament with a match against Poland's Sebastian Bialecki, whose rapid rise ensures little margin for early complacency.
Jonny Clayton follows against James Hurrell, while Dave Chisnall must handle 2024 quarter-finalist Ryan Joyce.
World number five James Wade meets Mickey Mansell in a likely tactical affair. Danny Noppert and Ricky Evans cross paths after strong Grand Slam campaigns, and former televised champions Ross Smith and Mike De Decker face emerging contenders Niko Springer and Cam Crabtree.
Stage Two provides its own roster of intrigue, as former World Youth Champion Bradley Brooks opens against last year's Grand Slam runner-up Martin Lukeman. Daryl Gurney, the 2018 champion, meets compatriot Brendan Dolan, while 2023 UK Open winner Andrew Gilding and Scotland's number two Cameron Menzies add depth to the afternoon slate.
The evening card on Stage Two begins with Jermaine Wattimena against Wesley Plaisier in an all-Dutch encounter.
Gary Anderson, the 2014 champion, starts his challenge against Belgium's Mario Vandenbogaerde, while Peter Wright, winner in 2021, plays number 14 seed Joe Cullen.
Poland's number one, Krzysztof Ratajski, then meets five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld in one of the picks of the round. Wessel Nijman and Richard Veenstra supply another Dutch derby, before Chris Dobey, Damon Heta and Dirk van Duijvenbode complete a session full of proven competitors.
Friday's winners return on Saturday for round two in the afternoon and round three in the evening, before the tournament concludes on Sunday with quarter-finals in the afternoon and the semi-finals and final that night.
Between the semi-finals and the final, the Winmau World Youth Championship will be contested, with defending champion Gian van Veen facing Women's Series winner Beau Greaves in a match that has already generated widespread anticipation within the sport.
2025 Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals draw in full:
(1) Gerwyn Price v (64) Max Hopp
(32) Rob Cross v (33) Sebastian Bialecki
(16) Martin Schindler v (49) Michael Smith
(17) Niels Zonneveld v (48) Nick Kenny
(8) Stephen Bunting v (57) Ritchie Edhouse
(25) Brendan Dolan v (40) Daryl Gurney
(9) Cameron Menzies v (56) Adam Lipscombe
(24) Bradley Brooks v (41) Martin Lukeman
(4) Ross Smith v (61) Niko Springer
(29) Jeffrey de Graaf v (36) Luke Littler
(13) William O'Connor v (52) Ricardo Pietreczko
(20) Gary Anderson v (45) Mario Vandenbogaerde
(5) Chris Dobey v (60) Keane Barry
(28) Mike De Decker v (37) Cam Crabtree
(12) Jonny Clayton v (53) James Hurrell
(21) Luke Woodhouse v (44) Alan Soutar
(2) Wessel Nijman v (63) Richard Veenstra
(31) Karel Sedlacek v (34) Nathan Aspinall
(15) Danny Noppert v (50) Ricky Evans
(18) Dirk van Duijvenbode v (47) Madars Razma
(7) Gian van Veen v (58) Luke Humphries
(26) Krzysztof Ratajski v (39) Raymond van Barneveld
(10) Josh Rock v (55) Gabriel Clemens
(23) Scott Williams v (42) Ian White
(3) Damon Heta v (62) Justin Hood
(30) Andrew Gilding v (35) Dom Taylor
(14) Joe Cullen v (51) Peter Wright
(19) James Wade v (46) Mickey Mansell
(6) Jermaine Wattimena v (59) Wesley Plaisier
(27) Dave Chisnall v (38) Ryan Joyce
(11) Ryan Searle v (54) Darren Beveridge
(22) Kevin Doets v (43) Callan Rydz