AUTHOR: Star Sports Content
STAR FOOTBALL PREVIEW: League One 2026/27 – 1-24 Predictions
The 2026/27 campaign is nearly upon us, and it’s sure to be another exciting season!
Star Sports’ Social Media Manager and resident EFL expert JOE CITRONE has put together his preview for the new League One campaign, complete with 1-24 predictions and recommended ante-post bets.
1st-2nd place – 🏆 Automatic promotion to the Championship
3rd-6th place – 🔁 Qualification for the Play-Offs
21st-24th place – ⬇️ Relegation to League Two
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1. Luton Town
Luton finished last season strongly but ultimately ran out of time to force their way into the play-offs. Winning the EFL Trophy against Stockport showed the progress they made under Jack Wilshere.
With a full pre-season behind him, I expect Wilshere to take them up another level. He’s made a really positive start to life in management.
The signings of Kasey Palmer and Harrison Ashby add even more quality to what was already a strong squad.
For me, Luton are the best team in the division, and I have them winning the League One title.
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2. Leicester City
Leicester’s fall has been remarkable, going from Premier League champions to League One in the space of 10 years after last season’s relegation under Gary Rowett.
Russell Martin has been brought in to lead the rebuild, and on paper, they have the strongest squad in the division.
The big question is whether they can shake off the disappointment of relegation and get rid of the losing mentality that has crept into the club. If they do, they should expect to be right in the promotion mix.
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3. Huddersfield Town
Considering the money invested into the squad, the 2025/26 season was incredibly disappointing for Huddersfield Town.
They started with rookie Lee Grant before opting for Liam Manning who had to leave for personal reasons, and now another young manager is at the helm in Martin Drury.
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4. Sheffield Wednesday
Last season was a complete disaster. An 18-point deduction, 32 defeats and a finish on exactly zero points, all against the backdrop of financial and ownership issues, saw Sheffield Wednesday relegated to League One.
Things feel much more positive now, though. The ownership situation has stabilised and there’s renewed optimism around the club.
Personally, I think they should have gone for a fresh start in the dugout, but the decision has been made to stick with Henrik Pedersen.
Given the size of the club, Wednesday should be challenging near the top. The signings of Callum Slattery, Billy Mitchell and especially Louie Barry have really impressed me, as well as the return of Barry Bannan, and I expect them to be in the promotion mix.
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5. Plymouth Argyle
Tom Cleverley endured a difficult start at Home Park, but he showed his potential as a manager by almost guiding Plymouth into the play-offs.
Losing top scorer Lorent Tolaj is a blow, but with a full pre-season under Cleverley, I expect Plymouth to pick up where they left off.
I think they’ll have a strong season and be right in the mix at the top end of the table.
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6. Stockport County
Stockport made the surprise decision to part ways with Dave Challinor and have replaced him with Jimmy McNulty, who earned promotion to the EFL with Rochdale.
The challenge now is recovering from the disappointment of losing the play-off final to Bolton Wanderers, but they have a strong squad to build from.
They’ve added good experience in Ben Osborn and Eoghan O’Connell, while Ryan Glover and Ollie Whatmuff bring youth and potential.
I like Stockport’s chances of having another strong season.
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7. Wycombe Wanderers
Michael Duff has a proven track record at this level and got a real tune out of the squad last season, even if a late wobble ultimately cost them a serious push for the play-offs.
With a full pre-season under his belt, I expect them to be right in the mix this time around.
The signing of Steve Cook adds experience and the addition of Conor Hazard hopefully solves last season’s goalkeeping woes, while keeping hold of Fred Onyedinma could prove to be their best piece of business.
I have them enjoying a strong season and pushing hard for a top-six finish.
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8. MK Dons
After winning promotion from League Two last season, the first objective is to stay up, but MK Dons won’t be settling for just survival.
Manager Paul Warne knows how to get teams promoted, and he’ll be aiming to add another success to his impressive record.
The additions of Dan Barlaser, Ryan Wintle and Sam Nombe give the squad real quality, and I think they’ll be competitive throughout the season.
I have MK Dons finishing in the top half and pushing for the play-off places.
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9. Bradford City
Bradford were one of the surprise packages in League One last season after earning promotion from League Two.
They don’t rely on one standout player, but instead have a well-drilled, hard-working team that Graham Alexander has built well.
Adam Phillips looks like an excellent signing from Barnsley, but with the division looking even stronger this season, I think repeating last year’s play-off push will be difficult. Another top-half finish would still represent a very good campaign.
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10. Reading
Leam Richardson isn’t the most popular figure around Berkshire, but before last season’s late collapse, he showed he could grind out results, even if the football wasn’t always easy on the eye.
Kyreece Lisbie looks like an exciting addition after impressing for Colchester, while Jack Marriott brings goals and Lewis Wing remains one of the best creative midfielders in the division.
The arrival of John Coleman as assistant manager also adds plenty of experience to the coaching staff.
I don’t expect Reading to be the most entertaining side to watch, but I think they’ll have enough to secure a strong top-half finish.
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11. Leyton Orient
Last season was a huge disappointment, with Richie Wellens describing it as a “waste”, but Orient will be looking to bounce back.
Yusuf Akhamrich is an exciting loan addition from Tottenham Hotspur after impressing at Bristol Rovers, while Armando Dobra adds pace and quality on the opposite flank.
I expect Orient to be much stronger this season and push back towards the top end of the table after narrowly missing out on promotion the season before last.
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12. Stevenage
They were the surprise package in League One last season, unexpectedly finishing in the play-off places. The big question now is whether Alex Revell’s side can repeat that success.
They’ve made some solid additions, although nothing that really stands out, with the Josh Magennis signing a particularly interesting one.
I expect a bit of a drop-off this time around, but I still see them having a comfortable mid-table season.
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13. Peterborough United
Peterborough have lost two of their standout players in Kyrell Lisbie and Archie Collins, and at the time of writing, I’m not convinced they’ve replaced that quality.
I do have a lot of faith in Luke Williams, who impressed me during his time at Notts County, but even he isn’t a miracle worker.
I don’t see enough in the squad to suggest they’ll be pushing for the play-offs, which is likely the expectation from owner Darragh MacAnthony.
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14. Doncaster Rovers
It was a difficult first season back in League One for Doncaster, who spent much of the campaign looking over their shoulder. I expect them to be a lot more solid this time around under Grant McCann.
The signings of Jordan Thomas and Isaac Hutchinson both catch the eye after impressive spells with Cheltenham last season.
I don’t see Doncaster challenging for promotion, but I do think they’ll have a comfortable, solid mid-table campaign.
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15. Blackpool
It was a difficult campaign last season. Ian Evatt eventually guided the club clear of relegation, but it was far from convincing.
The loss of top scorer Ashley Fletcher leaves a big hole to fill, and they haven’t made any signings that really stand out.
The shine has also faded on Evatt since his impressive rise with Barrow, and I think another bottom-half finish is the most likely outcome.
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16. Oxford United
Oxford have been hit with a registration embargo, leaving them unable to bring in new signings and putting real pressure on the current squad.
They still have a strong core with the likes of Cameron Brannagan, Stan Mills and Tyler Goodrham, but a lack of depth is a concern.
If they can keep that group together, they should be okay. If not, it could be a very difficult first season in management for Aaron Ramsey.
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17. Barnsley
Daniel Stendel is back at Oakwell after a successful first spell that ended in promotion from League One, but many of the same problems remain.
The loss of David McGoldrick to a league rival is a blow, and I’m not convinced their summer signings have improved the squad enough.
Stendel’s promotion success came a long time ago, and he has been managing Hannover’s reserve side the last few years. I think Barnsley could be in for another disappointing season.
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18. Wigan Athletic
Wigan have lost some important players this summer, with Sam Tickle, Jason Kerr and Will Aimson all departing, and I don’t think they’ve replaced them with enough quality.
Sonny Perkins feels like a questionable signing after a disappointing spell at Leyton Orient, while Max Power seems like a step backwards, especially after their interest in bringing Matt Smith back.
I’m also not fully convinced by Gary Caldwell, and I can see Wigan facing a difficult season.
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19. Notts County
A superb performance in the play-off final against Salford secured promotion, but staying in League One will be the priority this season.
Losing Alassana Jatta and Jodi Jones is a huge blow, with both playing a major role in last season’s success.
There are also question marks over the manager after struggling at this level previously. I think it’ll be a difficult campaign, and survival would represent a positive season for County.
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20. Bromley
Andy Woodman has done an incredible job to take Bromley into the third tier for the first time in the club’s history.
They’ve kept the core of the squad together and added some smart signings, with JJ McKiernan and Kamil Conteh strengthening an already well-drilled group.
It’ll be a tough challenge, but with talisman Michael Cheek leading the line, I think Bromley have enough to stay up.
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21. Mansfield Town
Nigel Clough has done a brilliant job getting Mansfield to this level and keeping them here, but I think their luck could finally be running out.
They’ve only made three signings so far, and bringing in David McGoldrick and Michael Smith leaves them with a strike partnership whose combined age is 72.
I think they’re lacking the quality to stay up, and I can see Mansfield dropping out of the league.
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22. Cambridge United
Cambridge bounced straight back at the first attempt under Neil Harris after relegation, but I think this season will be much tougher.
Callum Stead looks like a solid signing from Barnet, but overall I still think the squad is short of quality.
They’re relying on Neil Harris to get the very best out of the group again, but I can see them being involved in a dogfight towards the bottom of the table.
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23. AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon were solid for much of last season, but a late collapse almost dragged them into the relegation battle.
Marcus Browne was their standout player and, if he stays fit, he’ll be key again. The problem is his injury record, and without him they look short of quality.
Johnnie Jackson usually gets the best out of his teams, but I don’t think this squad has enough to stay up. I have them going down.
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24. Burton Albion
Burton are one of the smaller clubs at this level and already face a tough challenge staying competitive.
There’s also uncertainty hanging over the club after admitting to multiple breaches of the FA’s agent regulations, with potential sanctions still to come.
Matthew Dennis is a decent signing, but the squad still looks short of quality. I think Burton are in for a very difficult season.
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