The 24-1 predictions are a tough one to do for any division but it's a particularly tricky task when you've been given Sky Bet League Two.
Look, that's not me doing it to include some kind of 'get out' clause early doors but it's always had the feel of a division which is especially open.
Previous favourites have finished at the wrong end; those fancied for the drop have actually left England's fourth tier through the other door. On the whole, you don't really know what you're going to get.
But that's what makes it so great, particularly if you're a neutral following from afar. League Two games are often my favourite to attend because, regardless of what the odds suggest, there is always the feeling in the back of your mind that you could see all three outcomes.
Old faces have returned to the EFL picture, with a couple of others dropping back down after short spells in the league above. The ingredients are all there for another fascinating campaign in England's fourth tier.
I'd be very pleased if these picks all finish in the rough area of the table where I've put them but I'm realistic enough to know that's unlikely to happen. Surprise packages at either end always disrupt things.
So, briefly putting my head above the parapet, here's how I think League Two plays out in 2026/27.
24. NEWPORT
Unfortunately for Newport supporters it feels as if the general consensus has been relegation in every prediction across the past few seasons. This could be the campaign where it finally becomes a reality.
As ever, recruits have arrived but there's little in terms of real quality for League Two and it's requiring some of those who have been picked up from non-league to adjust to the level effectively.
Hayden Mullins is a highly-rated coach by some having spent the past few years developing Fulham's youth side and perhaps he can inspire them to survival but it's a big ask of him and his group.
Sure, it may feel 'lazy' to place them bottom of the pile again but I can't disagree with the bookmakers.
23. SHREWSBURY
Shrewsbury's 2025/26 campaign was saved by an upturn in results following Gavin Cowan's arrival in January. I don't think they'll be as lucky this time around.
It's well known that Roland Wycherley is looking to sell the club but he's failed to find a buyer he deems suitable in the extended period they've been on the market. A one-window transfer fee restriction was imposed on the club in July which has affected their ability to buy quality for the squad.
And it's a side which is lacking just that. The initial upturn in February was followed by a spell in which they could barely score a goal - four came across their final 10 games.
Little has arrived in a difficult transfer window to suggest they'll improve those issues in front of goal. Combine this with problems off the field and it's hard to expect anything other than a relegation battle.
22. ACCRINGTON
Another of the sides who have been floating around the bottom end of League Two following their relegation in 2023, although a solid middle of the season did push them up to 16th last time out.
We can't ignore the awful latter part of it though. Accrington won just one of their final 14 games having been in with an ever so slight chance of the play-offs in mid-February.
A club operating on a small budget has welcomed in a few new faces on free transfers this summer. They'll be hoping Cole Stockton can find form seen in previous seasons although more recent showings have suggested this is unlikely.
As has been the case with many clubs over the years, they could benefit from the fact there are only two relegation spots on offer.
21. CRAWLEY
Led by a man with an incredible playing CV in Colin Kazim-Richards, Crawley's summer activity includes the revival of the previously sort of retired ex-Arsenal and Sunderland goalkeeper Vito Mannone.
Gianmarco Di Biase has the potential of EFL cult hero status given the striker's arrival from Juventus while Stephen Duke-McKenna showed his quality during the first half of last season with Harrogate, but it again feels like this team needs a bit more to push themselves up the table.
They'll be banking on the potential of young recruits who have arrived either permanently or on loan, the majority of whom we don't know a great deal about.
That could go either way but I'm playing it safer with Crawley by putting them at the lower end of the table.
20. EXETER
It's felt like a summer which has delivered very little in terms of good news at Exeter.
Boss Matt Taylor recently outlined that players will need to be sold if any are to arrive such are the financial constraints at St James Park. They've welcomed just three new faces, all free transfers.
Taylor failed to get the required results to avoid League One relegation last time out and while he may have guided the club to promotion in 2022, this time around should play out very differently.
Things aren't so bad currently that we'll see them go down - although things could change - but it's set to be a tough season for the Grecians.
19. GILLINGHAM
In all honesty Gillingham are one of a few clubs in this division I can't quite place but if you asked me to back them to enjoy a good season or a bad one, I'd certainly be looking towards the latter.
Gareth Ainsworth has overseen a huge squad turnover this summer with a number of players leaving. Striker Will Goodwin is one of the arrivals, potentially the target man Ainsworth needs, while young goalkeeper Ollie Wright makes the loan switch following a good season with Accrington.
This is a club which has gone nowhere since relegation from League One back in 2022 with three of the four seasons which followed returning bottom-half finishes - each of those being exactly 17th too.
While the temptation was there to place them in their rightful home, I'm backing them to drop a little bit further.
18. FLEETWOOD
We're now entering the area of the table where it doesn't really matter where you finish. It's not near promotion, it's not near relegation. Some of these could end up being a few places either way - they're just existing.
I'll pop Fleetwood in this region to kick us off. It's not a bad squad and they've welcomed some decent new faces to it in the summer.
The club have failed to challenge anywhere near promotion since dropping down a division in 2024 but they did at least show signs of life under Matt Lawlor last season.
They didn't lose many but they didn't win a great deal either. Perfectly fine for a club looking to sort themselves out, but I do wonder if that will hold them back again.
I wouldn't be surprised if they pushed more towards mid-table but I'll whack them 18th.
17. SWINDON
It was quite the collapse for Swindon last season, a side who looked a certainty to have at least a chance of promotion.
They moved into the top three after 10 games and stayed there until Matchday 29. In fact they held a spot in the top seven right up until there were two games to go.
But defeats by Grimsby and then Chesterfield condemned them to ninth. We could say this squad is capable of a promotion charge once again - and that is true - but it's far easier to put that on paper than into practice.
Ian Holloway can also get a tune out of a side when things are going well. When they aren't? Last season showed us what we needed to know. We've already seen an explosive rant in pre-season too.
16. ROTHERHAM
A club who have been on a downward spiral in recent seasons, it's hard to believe they were in the Championship just two years ago.
Rotherham dropped down from League One after Lee Clark couldn't transform their fortunes - although a miracle worker probably couldn't either - and Alex Bruce arrives in his place with limited senior managerial experience.
The transfer window hasn't quite worked as they'd hoped at this stage with Wrexham's Paul Mullin the latest recruit after weeks of inactivity. He has been underwhelming in recent League One loan spells.
Maybe they'll finish higher up in the table but at this point, I'm sticking them 16th.
15. TRANMERE
Tranmere's summer window has been an interesting one with Tom Ince and Will Vaulks the eye-catching names to join their ranks.
The season kicked off with defeat on penalties in the Carabao Cup preliminary round meeting with Rochdale as Rovers missed four of their five spot-kicks in a frankly comical shootout.
I still rate Darrell Clarke despite his last couple of managerial spells not going to plan and there is a group of players there who could suit what he'll want to do.
Tranmere have been going backwards during their seven seasons in England's fourth tier though. They can kick on a little bit this time around but not by much.
14. COLCHESTER
We're now truly into the 'mid-table' range and Colchester are a side who have strong managerial leadership in the Cowleys at this level. However, they've seen some key departures.
Winger Kyreece Lisbie has joined Reading following a campaign which delivered 17 goal involvements in the league while goalkeeper Matt Macey has left for Wycombe. Arthur Read has also opted for York.
Of course, efforts have been made to replace them but it looks to be another season where they end up in roughly the same position.
13. CHELTENHAM
Steve Cotterill is some gaffer. Inheriting a side in very late September that had gained just four points from a possible 30, he guided Cheltenham to safety by a very comfortable margin.
They were performing like a team who should have been in this position under him, while also flirting with the possibility of being a promotion contender over a 46-game stretch at one point.
Not having Isaac Hutchinson this time around is a blow but they've looked to add real quality in the window with the likes of MK Dons' Joe Tomlinson - who netted seven and assisted five from wing-back in 2023/24 - alongside tough tackling midfielder Charlie McCann from Barrow.
Perhaps they'll struggle for the consistency of a play-off push but this would represent a strong season for the Robins.
12. ROCHDALE
Beaten to the National League title by York in remarkable fashion on the final day of last season, the expectation was there that Rochdale would go up through the play-offs.
Teams have shown little issue in stepping up from non-league to the EFL in recent years but Rochdale will have to do it under new management after Jimmy McNulty was poached by League One Stockport.
It's been a positive enough summer window to add to the side that secured promotion last time out even if they have lost the likes of Kyron Gordon and loan goalkeeper Oliver Whatmuff (both of whom have also joined Stockport).
A significant change in the dugout but they can still kick on.
11. NORTHAMPTON
Joe Townsend's taken this lot to win the title. Perhaps they do. I don't know - they've never been in my title picture across the summer.
Chris Hogg gets his first managerial gig having been a long-term assistant to Liam Manning at various clubs. That experience you feel will prove crucial as he takes the main job, while also acknowledging the vital role he will have played in previous success.
They feel like a club who may need a season to stabilise before going for promotion the next and that's no bad thing.
I'd have expected more players to leave from last season's squad with the aim of a bigger rebuild but an upper mid-table finish represents a positive campaign if they can follow it up with a good window in 12 months' time.
10. CREWE
I was really impressed with Crewe in the early stages of last season and did expect them to be a top-seven side based on the performances I watched.
They have lost star winger Tommi O'Reilly after his loan spell from Aston Villa came to an end - he was directly involved in 18 goals across 46 League Two outings.
Just three new faces have arrived but Jordan Gibson, Luke Offord and Joe White are all positive additions to a side that does contain play-off potential.
Lee Bell has also shown himself to be a solid manager at this level. I wouldn't be surprised if they end up in the top seven.
9. WALSALL
You could point to Walsall being a top ten side over the past two seasons but the fact is that both campaigns have delivered very positive first halves and laughable seconds.
Former Huddersfield boss Lee Grant arrives and welcomes 10 new faces to his squad and there's little to suggest they won't be 'there or thereabouts' again.
We can point towards Grant's time at the Terriers not ending as he'd hoped and yet when he was sacked, they were a side still in the play-offs.
There's the questions around tactics in place but dropping down a division, he can guide the Saddlers towards the top end again.
8. YORK
York would have been a few places higher and yet they've decided to disrupt their own preparations at a vital point of the pre-season campaign.
Stuart Maynard out; Scott Lindsey in. His first competitive game saw his own fans chanting "you're getting sacked in the morning" after 80 minutes of their Carabao Cup loss to Lindsey's former club Crawley.
Perhaps there's a little bit of tongue-in-cheek about it but this is a fanbase furious at Maynard's departure. The window, at least, has been pretty positive overall with wing-back Harry Boyes the most recent arrival from Southend.
But the harmony at the club isn't quite there. Lindsey's only way of winning the fanbase over is with results.
7. CHESTERFIELD
Into the play-offs and again, you fancy Chesterfield to be in the picture. Paul Cook's side were beaten by eventual winners Notts County in last season's edition.
A positive summer window has delivered talented midfielder George McEachran from Grimsby alongside defensive duo Jack Simpson (Leyton Orient) and Alfie Pond (Wolves, on-loan at Crewe last season) among their recruits. Josh Koroma is another to follow from Orient.
Forward Fraser Bryden is an interesting pick-up too having netted 24 in 39 games for Northern Irish outfit Crusaders and perhaps could deliver a crucial impact from the bench at times.
More of the same expected from the Spireites.
6. OLDHAM
Oldham threatened the play-offs under Micky Mellon last season but couldn't quite get it done. I'd expect them to achieve it this time.
They've kept together the core group of that side who did enjoy a positive campaign. Mathew Hudson proved to be one of the division's top stoppers, Manny Monthé was a real presence at the back as was Mike Fondop up front.
The experienced Oliver Norburn is perhaps the most eye-catching of the summer recruits after featuring in the majority of Notts County's matches en route to promotion, while Keenan Appiah-Forson and Gus Scott-Morriss join from Southend.
They've gone under the radar a bit with the bookmakers in terms of promotion but this squad, combined with the managerial set-up in place, have every chance.
5. PORT VALE
Port Vale's previous campaign ended up in relegation and yet they did start to gain points following Jon Brady's arrival in early January.
They were 19th in the table focusing just on his time at the club but context matters here. He inherited a group that had gained just 18 points from their first half of the campaign and were well bottom of the league.
Plenty of summer activity has come which delivers a side that should be highly competitive in this division. The most recent one in Tyreece Simpson from Stevenage provides a striker who will work hard for the team and link things up for the benefit of others.
All the potential is there to bounce back at the first time of asking.
4. GRIMSBY
Grimsby suffered a cruel defeat in the play-offs last time out but this is a club that has been building under David Artell. Everything suggests another promotion push.
They've lost McEachran to Chesterfield but the core of the squad remains. Repeat showings from Kieran Green and Harvey Rodgers will give them every chance again.
The Mariners also turned Andy Cook's loan spell into a permanent deal following the end of his contract at Bradford and that gives them a focal point in attack.
Probably the best-dressed team in the EFL this season, here's hoping they've been practicing penalties following a pretty dire record with them last time out.
Overall though, everything points to further improvement and a side capable of promotion.
3. BRISTOL ROVERS
Steve Evans is in my good books having saved me from the total humiliation of last season's Bristol Rovers to win the title shout. If anything, they looked like they could be heading for the drop.
A 13-game winless run was long-forgotten when The Gas returned 11 wins from their final 14 games and tied Evans down to a new deal to stay in charge for the this campaign.
That momentum makes them a team hard to ignore for the automatic promotion picture. They've also welcomed eight new faces as they aim to build on those showings in the latter part of the campaign.
Not only that but they've kept together a large number of that squad which put in the winning performances. Evans seems like he's got a good group to work with and one, crucially, who are working for him.
You'd imagine top seven is the absolute minimum aim but I'm siding with them to go one better.
2. SALFORD
The clear favourites to win the title in the eyes of the bookmakers and it's easy to see why given their summer activity following a season which saw them beaten in the play-off final.
Salford didn't turn up at Wembley and that led to the departure of boss Karl Robinson. Peter Cklamovski is in following an interesting managerial career path so far and eye-catching signings in Macaulay Langstaff and Luke Molyneux have joined him at Moor Lane.
Perhaps the one small criticism you could make is that it's a side somewhat 'top heavy' with a focus on attacking quality and yet that should still be enough to fire them through games when required.
That's not to say they can completely ignore the defence but should any issues start to show in the early part of the campaign, it wouldn't be a surprise to see them dip into the transfer market to fix it.
1. BARNET
Top of the pile this season is my champions: Barnet.
Dean Brennan's side were a bit of a 'data darling' last season but a rough period through February and March was ultimately what cost them a spot in the top seven. They will also look at home form as a reason behind them missing out.
The summer window has delivered League Two experience in centre-backs Will Wright from Swindon and Zac Williams from Crewe while Tom Knowles has been brought in as Ryan Glover's replacement following a great campaign with Forest Green in the National League.
Following a tricky start they became a tough side to beat. They wouldn't lose more than two games in a row and the campaign ended with seven wins from eight - a draw with eventual title winners Bromley denying them the clean sweep.
Converting the chances they create is the biggest issue to solve but again late showings suggest they may have started to do just that. They netted six against Gillingham and five at Fleetwood.
Having had a season to settle on their return to the EFL, this campaign looks to be one in which they can lift the trophy at the end of it.
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