There are guaranteed places for the top four in the PDC Order of Merit, which means Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Gian van Veen, and Michael van Gerwen were all automatic inclusions. However, there will have been plenty of debate around the remaining four places.
Bunting has not been at his best since winning two World Series events and a Euro Tour tournament at the top end of last year, but the 40-year-old is a firm fan favourite wherever he goes.
"I'm slightly surprised at Stephen Bunting. He's had a decent enough year but not as good as some in my opinion," Wayne Mardle told Sky Sports.
"He can consider himself a little fortunate. He played OK in the Premier League last year but results didn't go well, especially for the first eight weeks when he didn't win a game.
Gerwyn Price has been included for an eighth time for similar reasons away from the oche; his antics always headline-grabbing whenever the darts comes to town.
Jonny Clayton, meanwhile, has been named for the first time since 2023, while Northern Ireland's Rock will be making his Premier League debut along with Van Veen.
The two biggest names to miss out are Aspinall and Noppert, with the former not featuring for the first time since 2022.
Noppert has been long mooted as a likely inclusion, but perhaps his failure to make it into the last 32 at Alexandra Palace this year cost him more than just a bigger chunk of the prize money.
"Danny Noppert has been really unlucky. He's reached the semi-finals of four majors," Mardle continued.
"Nathan Aspinall had a squeak but Noppert I feel... what's he got to do? He won the UK Open a few years ago. Since then he's got better and better.
"Maybe he's got to reach a final or win one, but Stephen (Bunting) hasn't done that this year.
"With the performances of last year, I thought that would have gone against him rather than for him but he's got a massive following."
Gary Anderson and Ryan Searle, who were respectively beaten by Van Veen and Littler at the World Championship, have not made it in but there was no indication that Anderson would have wanted to take a spot, while Searle would himself have been a slightly surprising inclusion despite his recent impressive run at the Worlds.
The Premier League Darts gets under way in Newcastle on 5 February, where Humphries will begin his title defence in earnest following a disappointing quarter-final exit at Ally Pally.
Full player lineup
Luke Littler
Luke Humphries
Gian van Veen
Michael van Gerwen
Jonny Clayton
Stephen Bunting
Josh Rock
Gerwyn Price
Schedule
February 5: Night 1 - Newcastle
February 12: Night 2 - Antwerp
February 19: Night 3 - Glasgow
February 26: Night 4 - Belfast
March 5: Night 5 - Cardiff
March 12: Night 6 - Nottingham
March 19: Night 7 - Dublin
March 26: Night 8 - Berlin
April 2: Night 9 - Manchester
April 9: Night 10 - Brighton
April 16: Night 11 - Rotterdam
April 23: Night 12 - Liverpool
April 30: Night 13 - Aberdeen
May 7: Night 14 - Leeds
May 14: Night 15 - Birmingham
May 21: Night 16 - Sheffield
May 28: Finals Night - London