Week 11 Waiver Wire: Early Pickups and Breakout Fantasy Football Candidates

Week 10 injuries should create a frantic waiver wire for fantasy football owners. As we head into the stretch run, grabbing the missing pieces to what we hope will be a championship team is essential. 

If you were depending heavily on Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, you best be scouring the waiver wire and exploring trade possibilities. Palmer is believed to have torn his ACL on Sunday, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. It happened just two days after signing a three-year, $50 million extension.

Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, this is a bit of deja vu.

If you're looking for a replacement, there are two spots to monitor.

The Obvious

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Drew Stanton filled in for Palmer earlier in the season, and he came on to complete three of five passes on Sunday. Per Bleacher Report's Matt Miller, Stanton has the full support of his teammates.

Stanton is not dynamic. He is averaging just 176.3 yards passing heading into Week 10. However, he won't get your fantasy team many subtractions.

In 93 pass attempts this season, Stanton hasn't thrown an interception. In a pinch, he is the obvious and perhaps best option.

Keep an Eye on Houston and Cincinnati

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Ryan Mallett is going to start in Week 11 for the Houston Texans against the Cleveland Browns, per Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. You could pounce on Mallett now, or you could wait to see how he performs against a good Browns defense.

If he struggles, it's possible the Texans could turn back to Ryan Fitzpatrick as their starter. In that instance, Fitzpatrick might be a better option than even Stanton.

The Cincinnati Bengals' Andy Dalton was historically bad on Thursday night against the Browns.

There haven't been loud rumblings about him being replaced at quarterback, aside from my own rant, but if he produces another stinker, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis might have to turn to veteran Jason Campbell.

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With weapons like A.J. Green and Mohamed Sanu, Campbell would leap to the head of the class when it comes to waiver-wire quarterbacks.

Titan Fall

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The Tennessee Titans were hit hard with concussions on Sunday. H-Back Delanie Walker and versatile running back Dexter McCluster were both forced to leave the team's 21-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. 

We don't know what McCluster and Walker's availability will be next week, so it's worth taking a look at their replacements.

Jackie Battle is behind Walker on the depth chart, and Leon Washington came in once McCluster went down. Washington got into the end zone on a shovel pass, and his versatility makes him potentially valuable as a flex player.

Rookie-for-Rookie Swap

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Jacksonville Jaguars rookie wide receiver Allen Hurns also suffered a concussion on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.

Hurns is second on the team in receptions and receiving yards, but his availability has to be in question moving forward.

The Jags are on bye in Week 11, but when they return rookie Marqise Lee could be a nice pickup. He's Hurns' backup, and he possesses the game-breaking speed to make a fantasy splash.

Obviously, more information has to be uncovered about Hurns' status through the bye week. Should he miss a game, Lee is one to take a long look at.