The first two weeks of the NFL season have been a doozy. Some of the teams we expected to be at the top have fallen flat, while others we expected to be towards the bottom of the league are sitting at 2-0. Same goes for the MVP race. We have some of the usual suspects that are nowhere near the top, while some underrated players have climbed their way into the conversation early.

After every week, I’m going to be going through the MVP race and identifying the top-10 players in contention. This is not based on odds, this is purely based on how players have performed this season. For example, Lamar Jackson has some of the best odds to win the award, but he has not played like a top-10 MVP candidate through two weeks, so he’s not on here.

Let’s get into this week’s MVP ladder.

1. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

Stats: 66.7%, 582 passing yards, 92 rushing yards, 9 total TDs

Odds: +180

There’s a runaway favorite for the MVP through two weeks, and that’s Josh Allen. His 674 total yards are second in the league behind Tyler Shough, and his nine total touchdowns are clear of anyone else in the league. He’s led the Buffalo Bills to 36 and 41 points, and right now they look like the best team in the league. There’s a long way to go, but Allen is the heavy frontrunner at the moment.

2. Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers

Stats: 80.4%, 492 passing yards, 59 rushing yards, 6 total TDs, 1 INT

Odds: +1000

If anyone is giving Allen a run for his money, it’s Brock Purdy. After a massive Week 1 victory over the Los Angeles Rams where he played extremely well, Purdy followed it up with a 287-yard, three-touchdown performance in a dominant win over Miami. His 80.4 percent completion percentage leads the league, too, so he’s the clear runner-up at the moment.

3. Kenneth Walker, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Stats: 290 rushing yards, 79 receiving yards, 2 total TDs

Odds: +8000

Kenneth Walker has been everything Kansas City could’ve wished for and more through two weeks. After a 173-yard performance on the ground in Week 1, Walker topped the 100-yard mark again in Week 2 while adding 6 yards through the air. I can’t believe Seattle wasted his talent for four years, because this guy is a stud.

4. Tyler Shough, QB, New Orleans Saints

Stats: 68.9%, 662 passing yards, 31 rushing yards, 5 total TDs, 2 INTs

Odds: +4500

Saints fans knew Tyler Shough was the real deal after last year, and now he’s putting the rest of the NFL world on notice. Shough currently leads the NFL in passing yards with 662 and just led New Orleans to a road win over Baltimore after a near one-point overtime loss to Detroit last week. This offense is legit, and if Shough keeps racking up these passing yards, he could be in the MVP conversation the whole year.

5. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks

Stats: 17 receptions, 277 receiving yards, 4 TDs

Odds: +10000

Many thought there was no way Jaxon Smith-Njigba replicated his 2025 season in 2026 with Klint Kubiak and Kenneth Walker gone, but through two weeks, he’s on pace to shatter his 2025 totals. He’s caught 17 passes for 277 yards and four touchdowns. Also, he’s currently on pace for over 2,300 yards and 34 touchdowns, and he’s done that with Drew Lock under center. He’s absolutely in MVP conversations.

6. Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers

Stats: 63%, 648 passing yards, 16 rushing yards, 7 total TDs, 1 INT

Odds: +8000

Bryce Young has been balling in year four. He’s slowly improved every season, but he has taken massive strides in 2026 and currently leads the league in passing touchdowns and is second in passing yards. He hasn’t had to face a tough defense yet and doesn’t have a signature win like Shough, but he’s right on his NFC South foe’s tail in the MVP race.

7. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

Stats: 63.5%, 566 passing yards, 40 rushing yards, 6 total TDs, 1 INT

Odds: +1000

Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL some nine months ago, but you’d never know if you watched him through the first two weeks of the season. He’s been aided by the best run game he’s had in his career, but he’s still executing, totaling over 600 yards and six touchdowns in his first two games. The Kansas City Chiefs look like Super Bowl contenders once again with Mahomes back under center.

8. Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens

Stats: 212 rushing yards, 38 receiving yards, 4 TDs

Odds: +7000

Derrick Henry had a massive Week 1, rushing for 144 yards and three touchdowns. He had a really strong first half in Week 2, but the Ravens just stopped giving him the football late in the game. Still, he’s amassed 250 total yards and four touchdowns through two weeks, and the only other player in football who has done the same is JSN.

9. Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys

Stats: 73.8%, 454 passing yards, 6 passing TDs, 1 INT

Odds: +2000

After a shaky Week 1, Dak Prescott turned things around in Week 2, throwing for 279 yards and four touchdowns as the Dallas Cowboys routed the Washington Commanders, 37-20. Week 1 wasn’t indicative of what this offense is capable of, but Week 2 certainly was. 250 yards and multiple touchdowns should be the norm for Prescott from here on out.

10. Dallas Turner, ED, Minnesota Vikings

Stats: 20 pressures, 9 hurries, 3.0 sacks

Odds: N/A

Defensive players never win the MVP, but I had to give some love to Dallas Turner, who after two pretty disappointing seasons to start his career, leads the league in pressures with 20 and third in sacks with 3. It’s a shame defensive players don’t get the respect they deserve in the MVP race, because Turner has been as impactful as anyone on defense this season.