Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups: Alex Smith and 3 Players That Proved Their Worth

I was once the biggest Alex Smith critic in the world, but not any more. I'm not calling him Joe Montana, but he has proven his worth as a backup QB on your fantasy team. Especially if you have Kevin Kolb, Matt Cassel or Matt Hasselbeck as your starting QB. All of these players are on a bye.

If you're not enthused with your current backup, Smith and the 49ers are starting to roll under Jim Harbaugh. He tossed three TD passes while throwing for a modest 170 yards. They are a running team, but he will find Vernon Davis in the red zone.

Doug Baldwin is an unsung wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks. He was key in their upset win over the New York Giants in Week 5. His production has improved every week. Check out his stat line over the past three weeks:

• Week 3 - 2 receptions, 23 yards
• Week 4 - 5 receptions, 84 yards 
• Week 5 - 8 receptions, 136 yards, TD

He's hot and a great pickup.

The Indianapolis Colts don't have a QB worth an automatic start every week, but Curtis Painter is gaining his footing and becoming more comfortable. Think about it, Peyton Manning's backup has to be the one backup QB in the NFL who least expects to play every week. Now consider Painter was below Kerry Collins on the depth chart.

So now as he's pressed into action, it has understandably taken him a little while to get comfortable.

In Week 5, Painter had a pretty good game, despite the loss. He threw for 277 yards and two TDs. This followed up a 281-yard, two-TD performance from Week 4.

Painter is a solid backup QB and start if your QB is on bye.