Cowboys-Chargers DFS picks: Players to target on ‘Monday Night Football’

Welcome back to another breakdown of the Monday Night Football PrizePicks board. 

We have a showdown between the 3-2 Dallas Cowboys and the 2-2 Los Angeles Chargers to analyze. 

The Chargers are expecting the return of star running back Austin Ekeler, who has been out of action since a Week 1 ankle injury. 

Let’s jump right in and find some projections to target. 

CeeDee Lamb more than 71.5 Receiving Yards 

The Cowboys offense has struggled to get on track in 2023, but this is a good spot for them against a Chargers defense that has allowed the most passing yards per game in the NFL so far this season. 

Lamb leads the Cowboys with a 21.2% target share and he has been Dak Prescott’s first read on 23.9% of dropbacks. 

He logged more than 71.5 receiving yards in three of four games to close out last season, and he began this season with two games beating this projection. 

He has failed to hit this number in his last three contests. Last week he saw a matchup with San Francisco, one of the best defenses in the league, and the week before that the Cowboys rolled the Patriots and did not need to throw much. 

This should be a close game with the Chargers getting one of their primary weapons back. 

I like Lamb to lead the way for this Cowboys offense and go over 71.5 receiving yards. 

Tony Pollard more than 20.5 Receiving Yards 

Pollard has struggled to be efficient as the star of the Cowboys backfield. He was one of the most efficient runners in the league as a complementary piece over the last three seasons, but he has averaged just 4.2 yards per carry this season (compared to 5.22 yards per carry last season.)  

He has always been a very skilled receiver out of the backfield, and the Cowboys could lean heavily into that skill set to get their offense going in the right direction. 

As noted above, the Chargers have been very susceptible to passing attacks this season. 

Pollard has logged more than 20.5 receiving yards in two of five games this season. 

Two of the games where he failed to beat this projection the Cowboys won by a combined 75 points and simply did not need to throw in the second half of either. 

The Chargers should be able to keep pace with the Cowboys here and push this offense a bit. 

I like Pollard to rack up more than 20.5 receiving yards in a close game. 

Betting on the NFL?

• Check out the best NFL betting sites
• Read our expert guide on how to bet on the NFL
• Get the latest Super Bowl 2023 Odds.
• Get the BetMGM Bonus Code

Josh Palmer more than 3.5 Receptions 

Austin Ekeler is expected to return after a three-game absence, and that should improve the efficiency of this Chargers offense. 

Mike Williams is out for the season and Josh Palmer has been elevated to the No. 2 wide receiver role. 

Palmer has earned 15 targets in the last two games subbing in for Williams, but he has struggled to find a connection with Justin Herbert. 

The Chargers are coming off their bye week, and Palmer has another two weeks of practice time working as Herbert’s second option. 

I expect the chemistry between these two to take a big step forward coming out of the bye. 

The additional practice time and Ekeler improving the efficiency of the offense lead me to more than 3.5 receptions for Palmer.