Your preference is window or aisle.

I think the auto-seat-assignment system does honor that.

However, there is no preference for front/back of cabin.

The auto-seat-assignment program currently seems to assign pax from the back of the cabin forward. (two years ago it supposedly did tier front-to-back and non-tier back-to-front at least in coach .. but now it is one direction in both cabins only).

If you are a tier, the program tries to use those seats first .. then the back-to-front mode.

For example, some of row 9 on an MD80 is blocked for elites. Many times I have gotten that aisle seat pre-assigned. If not, way way in the back.

Simply plan to change the auto-seat-assignment ... I then re-select my tier-available exit row seat when possible.