Seeing as it ended up being a relatively popular exercise last week, I’ve again calculated the highest and lowest possible positions that each Football League and National League club can occupy after this weekend’s fixtures. If you scroll to the bottom I’ve also added in a link to the Premier League version.

For each division I’ve drawn lines under the last play-off spot, mid-table and the last spot above the relegation zone on both “axes” for ease of reference. As I mentioned last week, a single win can still make a pretty big difference at this stage of the season, but nonetheless here are some observations.

Championship

Brighton‘s position at the summit is currently unassailable, but any of the eight sides beneath them are capable of edging into second place given the right combination of results.

Despite only being three points behind Hull and Ipswich in fourth and fifth, Derby can’t rise any higher than sixth this weekend because both are playing other teams currently above the Rams (QPR and Birmingham). Therefore whatever happens, two of those four will remain ahead on points.

The current top six are the only sides guaranteed to remain in the top half of the table, while only the current bottom four are unable to escape the bottom half.

It’s possible for Rotherham to escape the ignominy of being in the bottom three, but this would require a six-goal swing over Brentford who, along with Bristol City and Blackburn, would have to lose.

League 1

A whopping 17 different sides could end up in the play-off places as a result of this weekend’s action, although for Shrewsbury and Scunthorpe to make it they’d need all three of Rochdale, Chesterfield and Swindon to lose.

Only the current top three can’t be ejected from the play-off places altogether and fourth-placed Coventry are the only other side who are guaranteed to remain in the top half.

Crewe are mathematically incapable of leaving the drop zone this weekend, although any of the other 11 sides in the bottom half could join them there.

League 2

Current leaders Leyton Orient are the only side guaranteed to remain in the play-off places this weekend, with any of the clubs down as far as 16th capable of joining them there.

While both Morecambe and Exeter are only three points off top spot, neither can take top spot. With Orient playing fourth-placed Wycombe, one of them will remain above those two sides whatever happens. The consolation is that neither can get dragged into the bottom half of the table, while everyone beneath them can.

It’s possible for any of the bottom six to form next week’s bottom two and even bottom side Newport can escape it, although this would require both Yeovil and Barnet to lose.

National League

Forest Green remain five points clear despite suffering their first defeat of the season, so there can be no change at the top this weekend.

Only the top six sides are immune from being dragged into the bottom half of the table, while the three point gap between Guiseley in 16th and Macclesfield in 17th means that none of the bottom eight can reach the top half.

Nobody is guaranteed to start next week in the relegation places, but the four slots will be occupied by four of the current bottom five.

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If you want to know what the Premier League could look like, my employer has the monopoly on that information: