NFL Week 6 'MNF' player prop: Defending home turf

After winning two games to even their record, the Chargers had their momentum slowed by being one of the first four teams with a bye. But on the bright side, the week off helped several players heal from injuries and gave new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore extra time to gameplan for his former team. As the Cowboys and their legions of fans invade SoFi Stadium on Monday night, we’re backing a defensive captain on the hosts to bring home our top prop:

The bet: Over 6½ tackles and assists for Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. (DraftKings)

Drafted out of Florida State with the 17th overall pick in 2018, James is widely considered one of the best players at the position. He has proven a stalwart defender when healthy, exceeding 100 tackles and earning a Pro Bowl selection in each season that he played at least 14 games.

James cleared this number in his last two contests despite leaving the most recent one early with a hamstring strain that would sideline him for Week 4. The only reason he fell short in the opener is that he wasn’t credited with any assists. He recorded six solo tackles that day and has at least five in every game played this season.

Between Weeks 2 and 12 of last year, James covered this total in 10 straight games. That stretch included four prime-time tilts, and he posted double-digit combined tackles in two of them.

While assists are somewhat subjective, it doesn’t hurt that the home statistician will be making those calls tonight. Against a Cowboys offense that averages more than 66 plays per game, James figures to be a frequent stopper.