The NFL MVP race is heating up at the midseason point, and once again, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is right in the middle of it. Allen sits atop the MVP odds at FanDuel Sports, but plenty of quarterbacks are closing the gap. That includes a few familiar faces and one dark horse who might not have the numbers yet.

Here is a look at the top MVP candidates heading into the second half of the season.

Josh Allen is still the most dynamic threat at quarterback

Buffalo is 6-1 and sits atop the AFC East. Allen has had his usual head-scratching plays, including some costly turnovers. Even so, he has arguably been the best quarterback, and the best player, in the league.

That is nine turnovers at the halfway point, which isn’t ideal. However, Allen remains the best dual-threat quarterback in football. Compared to the rest of this list, nobody is a more dynamic threat at the position.

Brock Purdy and Joe Burrow are making their cases

Next up in the odds is 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. Much like the Bills, the San Francisco 49ers sit atop their division at 6-1 in the NFC West. Their lone loss came in a strange game against the Atlanta Falcons, who are honestly one of the worst teams in the league.

That loss doesn’t change how Purdy has played. Kyle Shanahan’s offense is all about efficiency, and nobody is playing quarterback more efficiently. Purdy is completing 69.2% of his passes with 1,748 passing yards, 15 touchdown passes, only four interceptions, and no fumbles. He has also added 161 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.

If San Francisco runs away with the NFC West and Purdy keeps playing like this, he is going to be a real threat to Allen.

Then there is Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Burrow is one of the top three or four quarterbacks in the league, but it feels like he gets hurt every year. Through the first half, he has been healthy, and he has been on fire.

Burrow is completing 73% of his passes with 2,115 passing yards, 20 touchdown passes, and only six interceptions. He has shored up his fumbling issues and owns a 111.6 passer rating. He even started 14-for-14 against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a game Pittsburgh won.

The Bengals sit second in the AFC North behind the Steelers. Cincinnati has to travel overseas to face the Falcons, but if it gets through that one, a Sunday Night Football matchup with Pittsburgh awaits with first place on the line. How Burrow performs down that stretch could decide whether he is your MVP.

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Trevor Lawrence and Drake Maye are rounding out the top 5

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has gone from looking like a bust to being a legitimate MVP candidate. The Jags are quietly one of the best teams in football, and their market probably keeps them out of the national spotlight.

To be fair, the Jaguars play in arguably the worst division in the league. They are 5-2, and the next-closest team in the AFC South is Houston at 2-5. Still, Lawrence has been phenomenal. Leaning heavily on Parker Washington, he is completing 65.7% of his passes for 1,690 yards, 17 touchdown passes, four interceptions, no fumbles lost, and a 112.6 passer rating.

Jaguars coach Liam Coen has completely changed Lawrence’s identity as a starter. If Lawrence takes his game up one more notch, he will be in this race until the end.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is the fifth candidate. From Week 1 through Weeks 3-4, Maye looked nothing like the quarterback who was the MVP runner-up last season and led New England to the Super Bowl. Whether it was injury or a Super Bowl hangover, he was making horrible decisions and throwing interceptions left and right.

These last few weeks, though, he has been arguably the best quarterback in football. The Patriots have righted the ship at 5-3, just behind Buffalo in the AFC East. Maye is completing 67% of his passes with 1,983 passing yards and 15 touchdown passes.

The turnovers are the problem. Maye has eight interceptions, has lost six fumbles, and has taken 16 sacks. Fifteen touchdown passes against 14 turnovers is not good enough. If the giveaways come down and the explosiveness keeps climbing, though, he will be in the MVP conversation.

Caleb Williams is the dark horse

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams didn’t make the top five, but he is my dark horse. His numbers aren’t gaudy, with 1,020 passing yards, five touchdown passes, and one interception.

This isn’t about stats. The Bears just traded for Jeffrey Simmons, and they have one of the better rosters in the league. Chicago also has arguably the best head coach and quarterback duo in the eyes of many.

Williams is only going to progress coming off that hamstring injury. When he has been healthy, he has been the best quarterback in the league through the first half. If the Bears keep winning and Williams keeps playing at a high level, I believe there is a world where he wins MVP despite missing multiple games.