The EFL Championship is entering its final stretch with as many as twelve teams fighting for the four playoff spots. Leaders Fulham and Bournemouth have distanced themselves from the pack and seem to be on course for automatic promotion.Blackburn's terrible recent run has also reduced their odds of gaining automatic qualification with Queens Park Rangers holding the fourth position in the table.Fifth-placed Huddersfield is separated from 15th-placed Millwall by just ten points with sixteen games remaining in the season.We look at the prospects of some of these clubs and their chances of gaining a play-off slot.Sheffield UnitedSheffield United have seen a sharp change in their fortunes in the Championship since the arrival of Paul Heckingbottom, who replaced Serbian Slavia Jokanovic. Sheffield have taken quite a jump from midtable and sit firmly in eighth place in the table, having picked up thirteen points from their last five league outings.Sheffield United@SheffieldUnitedPaul Heckingbottom makes four changes against Huddersfield Town.John Fleck, Sander Berge, Oli McBurnie and Morgan Gibbs-White all start, with Ollie Norwood, Conor Hourihane and Iliman Ndiaye dropping to the bench. 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐒!!#SUFC 4:59 AM · Feb 12, 202249254Paul Heckingbottom makes four changes against Huddersfield Town.John Fleck, Sander Berge, Oli McBurnie and Morgan Gibbs-White all start, with Ollie Norwood, Conor Hourihane and Iliman Ndiaye dropping to the bench. 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐒!!#SUFC 🔴 https://t.co/f86hdA5gnKTheir change in formation under their new manager, where they have reverted to a back three, has helped them score more goals per match. Both their wingbacks, especially Jayden Bogle, have also seen his goal tally rise in recent weeks.Sheffield stand a very good chance of beating their close-in rivals to a playoff spot.Sheffield United@SheffieldUnitedA solid point on the road, another clean sheet and Hecky’s Blades are unbeaten in six. On to Hull at the Lane on Tuesday. ⚔️8:40 AM · Feb 12, 20222679A solid point on the road, another clean sheet and Hecky’s Blades are unbeaten in six. 💪On to Hull at the Lane on Tuesday. ⚔️ https://t.co/n1xaioLXxEWest BromWest Brom were on course for automatic promotion in December. However, a serious loss in momentum has plummeted the club to ninth in the table. They are on the verge of dropping outside the top ten.West Brom are level on points with Luton and Preston, who occupy the next two spots.West Bromwich Albion@WBAWelcoming our new Manager, Steve Bruce. 🤍12:25 PM · Feb 4, 20222002240Welcoming our new Manager, Steve Bruce. 💙🤍 https://t.co/PaKve5zJumWith the club losing four out of their last six outings, they decided to rope in Steve Bruce as their new manager for the rest of the season. The onus is now firmly on Bruce to take them back to the position where they belonged two months prior to his arrival.Stoke CityThe Potters also have a good chance of securing a playoff spot in the EFL Championship. Although they sit thirteenth in the table, they are just six points off sixth-placed Middlesbrough.One positive for Stoke is that they have drawn fewer games in the Championship than some of their nearest rivals.Other contenders in the Championship Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest also remain strong contenders for a playoff spot this season. The only disadvantage for them are their limited resources and depth compared to some of the other teams around them. Middlesbrough will hope to continue their recent run which has seen them pull off an upset against Manchester United in the FA Cup.