The NFL season is approaching the midway point and there are many people who are wondering who is going to win the MVP this year. Even though it is still very early, it is never too early to speculate on the results of MVP voting. It is important to take a look at who the MVP was last year, who the early leaders were, and who is in front right now. There are a few key candidates that price for the surface. 

Lamar Jackson Was the MVP Last Year

Understanding who the top players in the NFL are can help people anticipate playoff matchups. Last year, Lamar Jackson was a runaway MVP. The Baltimore Ravens were an offensive tour de force. Even though they completely fell flat in the playoffs against the Tennessee Titans, they did a lot to impress people during the regular season. Given that the MVP is a regular season award, it is clear that Lamar Jackson won the award with his legs and his arm.

This year, Lamar Jackson is not looking great. Even though his team is fantastic and is keeping pace and be competitive AFC North, his passing appears to be a bit off. Even though the Ravens are still playing outstanding defense and are using their running game to put teams away, Lamar Jackson is not passing the football very well. Therefore, he is unlikely to be competitive in the MVP race this year. 

Christian McCaffrey Suffered an Ankle Injury

Significantly impacting Jim Feist picks, the MVP among non-QBs last year, Christian McCaffrey, suffered an ankle injury early in the season. Therefore, he has missed three games in a row and he is likely to miss a fourth game as well. Oddly enough, the Carolina Panthers won three games in a row after he suffered an ankle injury. His replacement, Mike Davis, is certainly no Christian McCaffrey. At the same time, he has done enough to fill in for the missing offensive dynamo. Because of the injury, it is highly unlikely that Christian McCaffrey is going to be in the discussion for MVP again this year. 

The Early Leaders in the Race for MVP

Strangely enough, Russell Wilson has not won an MVP. Furthermore, he has never even received an MVP vote. At the same time, he is very high on everyone’s MVP voting list right now. The Seattle Seahawks are undefeated and he is playing relatively well. Even though his team struggled against the hapless Minnesota Vikings, he has done enough in his other games to keep himself in the MVP conversation.

Patrick Mahomes is always in the MVP conversation. The Kansas City Chiefs are playing well and even though they dropped a game to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Las Vegas Raiders are no slouch. Without a doubt, Patrick Mahomes is going to find himself in the MVP conversation at the end of the year. 

Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans is looking like a Superman right now. It is highly likely that he will be in the conversation as well, likely to the leader among NFL players who do not play the quarterback position. 

Finally, there are some people who are thinking that the quarterback of the Buffalo Bills, Josh Allen, is also going to be in the MVP conversation. His team recently got destroyed by both the Tennessee Titans and the Kansas City Chiefs. Even though both of these teams are outstanding, it is unlikely that he will be in the conversation at the end of the year.