Some of last season's highly successful fantasy football pearls wisdom passed along to you were to draft the combo of Ray Rice and Willis McGahee as the Ravens possessed a tremendous offensive line, and were slated to face an easy slate of run defenses. Whomever got the starting job was sure to explode

Here in 2010 you should consider the Ravens once again don't face the toughest slate of run defenses on paper when averaging out their schedule-- but beware the numbers are skewed by the fact they face Cleveland twice, Tampa Bay, Buffalo, and Denver, all who finished in the bottom 7 in run defense last season... Because in '10 the Ravens will also play 7 games against teams that finished in the top 10 in rushing defense including; Cincinnati twice, Pittsburgh twice, the Jets, Atlanta, and Houston. So while you're sure to get some huge games against the weaker teams, the Ravens do face several top rushing defensive opponents. (Note their home game versus Cincinnati is week 17, so you may be able to cross that game off). That's not to say Baltimore's ground game won't produce in these tough contests. I'm just pointing out it's not quite the cake walk they had on paper coming into last year. Naturally if you draft Rice, strongly consider drafting McGahee as a handcuff. Willis is in good shape, and if Rice wasn't in front of him, he would surely be a top flight pick with this offensive line.

Last season we also gave you Ryan Grant as a bounce back play. I would tread cautiously in 2010 as the Packers face a tough slate of run D's.

A few other pearls from last year were to draft Miles Austin as a late round steal (good luck repeating that feat this year). And Matt Schaub in round 5 of a 12 team league.

We also suggested drafting Robert Meachem, calling him a deep threat with much better hands than Devery Henderson. And Jermichael Finley, Visanthe Shiancoe, Brett Favre, and the New York Jets defense.

If you played in a dynasty league you may be looking very good with several of the above younger stars.

Here in 2010 we’re not going to give you the obvious fantasy football cheat sheet info readily available from many sites that deal exclusively in fantasy football. We’ll skip the "what to do with the first pick" fantasy football advice other than to say the San Francisco 49ers face an easy slate of run defenses, and they beefed up their offensive line, so Frank Gore could have a monster season if he stays healthy! Same goes for the members of his offensive line.

2010 Projects as a Deep Draft:
Our first fantasy football spin of the new season is to warn you to not be fooled by the sheer number of Fantasy football stars on the draft board. It's an extremely deep looking draft. Whether it's a position like tight end where more teams have been able to find seemingly uncoverable bodies in the mold of an Antonio Gates. Or the QB position where strict pass interference rules coupled with more gigantic wide receivers and tight ends have seemingly turned anyone with half an arm into a 4,000 yard passer... There is depth up and down your draft board like never before... That's why it's so important consider the strength of schedule (SOS) you're prospective draftees will face in 2010, in order to get a leg up on your competition.

Running Backs in Good Spots for the 2010 Season:

Frank Gore -- I said it above, and I'll echo it here. The 49ers face a weak slate of rushing defenses in '10. Meanwhile the 'Niners beefed up their O-line... Take a late round flier on Gore's backup. While not yet set in stone, Anthony Dixon looked good preseason week 1. And it's uncanny that as I'm writing this, news has crossed the wires that Brian Westbrook has just signed a one year deal with San Francisco... So there's your new backup if Gore goes down with an injury. Check average draft position tools in a few days to see where Westbrook is going. You may want to snag him if you get Gore, or even if you don't.

Jamaal Charles -- The Chiefs' schedule is "kind" to the running back position in 2010. While KC's offensive line is nothing to write home about, Charles has already shown you he can gain big yardage and score when running behind this group. And did I mention the kind SOS?

Ray Rice -- A tougher schedule than last year, but plenty of cupcakes too. He'll get his points, and remember to draft Willis McGahee just in case... Or perhaps you just like to snipe such backup RB's on teams with strong offensive lines.

Shonn Greene -- While the Jets face a very stiff slate of run defending teams in 2010, they can flat out block up front and create lanes for their backs. Shonn Greene should have a decent enough season to warrant drafting him. And I would most definitely draft LT to back him up. LaDainian Tomlinson failed to impress recently in San Diego, but I believe a good portion of the blame goes to an offensive line that was much better a pass blocking than run blocking... He'll be in a different situation in New York... Kind of like how Randy Moss was terrible on Oakland and then dynamite in New England. We say, "buy"!

Michael Turner -- A fair enough SOS. Expect "Turner the Burner" to bounce back in 2010 from an injury riddled '09 campaign.

Chris "Beanie" Wells -- This year the Cardinals face many teams weak at stopping the run. I like that Arizona added guard Alan Faneca from the Jets who should help beef up their running game on the left side paired with LT Levi Brown. If their ground game excels, teams may end up stacking the box, challenging the Cards to beat them through the air (with Kurt Warner now retired). But as low as I've been on Matt Leinart from day 1, I think he can still lob bombs to Larry Fitzgerald, who will surely have the edge to catch such floaters against smaller DB's and safeties. And Derek Anderson throws a decent deep ball as well. Point being, Beanie Wells could be in position to have a nice season if he stays healthy.

Felix Jones -- They can open holes for the backs in Dallas. And if Felix Jones could stay healthy for a full season, he could post mad stats... The operative word being, "if".

Jonathan Stewart, DeAngelo Williams -- The thing about drafting one of these time share RB's is if the other gets hurt, now you've got a beast on your hands-- because they can flat out run block in Carolina, and their schedule isn't that tough either.

Ahmad Bradshaw -- A running back you can grab late, with healthy feet following surgery. Bradshaw would be a beast if not in a time share. But with Brandon Jacob's propensity for injury, you never know...

Chester Taylor -- Seems like only a matter of time before he's the starter in Chicago.

Ronnie Brown -- The Dolphins' star RB has had more than one tremendous season 'in the making' cut short by injury. If he can stay healthy for all 16 games you are getting a bargain in the middle rounds.

Javon Ringer -- If there's any injury to Chris Johnson, Tennessee's offensive line is so strong, you can plug in Ringer and get sweet numbers.

Wide Receivers in Good Spots for the 2010 Season:

Miles Austin -- Like we said last year, "Everyone knows Tony Romo has great scrambling ability. That bodes well for deep completions on broken plays. Miles Austin has the speed to get down the field, and the height to go up and get the ball..." Then we learned he can also rip his way out of would be tackles and score that way too. Though we weren't surprised, Austin went on to shock many.

In 2010, the Cowboy's SOS for wide receivers and quarterback is extremely favorable on paper. But that has a lot to do with the Giants' defensive meltdown last season. And we expect the Giants' defense to bounce back year over year. Not to mention we're expecting defensive improvements in Washington, and in Philadelphia too. So take the SOS numbers with a grain of salt.

Furthermore, the Cowboys decided to go young at left tackle, releasing Flozell Adams. Doug Free has looked promising in camp, but it's still a risk. And left guard Kyle Kosier may miss the first few weeks of the season. None the less, Miles Austin put up insane numbers in only 9 starts last year (we'll say he saw legit time in about 11.5 games). So when you think what he might have done if starting 16 games, you can factor in some upside.

While we think Austin will have a tougher time (generally speaking) based on teams being more prepared for him, and the switch at left tackle, plus projected tougher defenses within the NFC East, Austin should be able to deliver solid numbers.

Hakeem Nicks -- Played with a broken toe and still racked up 6 TD's and 790 yards on 47 catches despite barely being involved in the passing game during the first quarter of the season. Nicks has all the looks of a late round steal in 2010.

Robert Meachem -- Keep an eye on his injury situation. Meachem has put up crazy good numbers when on the field. The return of Lance Moore could cut into his numbers. At least one of these receivers will likely have a great year. You can draft them pretty late. Why not grab both?

Mike Wallace -- Notching 756 yards and 6 TD's on only 39 receptions is flat out sick-- as Wallace did in '09. The departure of Santonio Holmes from Pittsburgh opens to door for Wallace. Of course there is the Roethlisberger suspension to deal with... At any rate, here is a receiver other fantasy football owners are staying away from, so you can draft him late. And when Mike and Big Ben are lighting it up during the second half of the season, you'll be glad you saw the value.

Terrell Owens -- Owen's poor season in Buffalo was the result of playing on a team with no QB or offensive line to speak of. Expect a huge bounce back in 2010 with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Larry Fitzgerald -- Only in a good spot by virtue of how far he's fallen down the draft board... In other words, a value pick. Fitz caught some TD's from Matt Leinart before Kurt Warner took over. And he can catch a lobbed bomb from anybody-- whether it's Leinart or Anderson. Perhaps the Cardinals will be willing to trot out at QB with more mobility and a stronger arm such as Max Hall. If he falls to you, don't be afraid to draft him. Not to mention, the Cardinals running game could improve with the addition of left guard Alan Faneca. This might help take some pressure off the QB. And the Cards' schedule isn't that tough.

Pierre Garcon -- A solid talent playing in a great offense with a mixed SOS.

DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin -- Easy SOS for WR's on paper, although that can be deceiving. And while I stood up for McNabb throughout the years, let me also say, don't worry, Kolb can get them the ball, no problem, as long as the O-line holds up.

Jordan Shipley -- Looking more and more like Cincinnati has a beefier "Wes Welker" on their hands... Could become a 'point per reception league' dynamo.

Malcom Floyd -- The Chargers schedule is ridiculously easy. And Floyd is slated to get a lot more playing time in 2010 thanks to issues with Vincent Jackson. On the down side, LT Marcus McNeill hasn't been signed. But did we mention how easy the Chargers' SOS is?

Legedu Naanee -- Once again the Chargers face an easy SOS. Legedu has to fend off Craig Davis for the #2 receiver spot. Naanee could be a nice pickup in PPR leagues.

Jacoby Jones -- Could challenge Kevin Walter for the #2 spot in Houston. If Andre Johnson ever got hurt, Jacoby could post mad numbers with Schaub.

James Jones -- You could draft some weak #2 WR on a team with no passing game-- or you could draft a strong #3 WR on a team with a great passing game. If there's any injury to Driver or Jennings, Jones' stock would likely soar... Of course there's always the presence of WR Jordy Nelson. But Jones has the talent edge in Green Bay's battle for the third wide receiver spot.

Victor Cruz -- If scoring 3 TD's through the air in a half doesn't put you on the sleeper radar nothing will. This is a guy to keep an eye on in preseason. If Steve Smith or even Hicks goes down during the season, it could be very interesting to see how Cruz performs if given a shot. He reminds some of Carolina's Steve Smith. Don't be afraid to draft him late. You can always replace him with a waiver wire pickup later in the season.

Quarterbacks in Good Spots for the 2010 Season:

Matt Schaub -- Like we said last year, "If he stays injury-free, he should rate as a steal." Rinse and repeat.

Aaron Rodgers -- If you play in a league where QB's score more points than RB's, don't be afraid to reach for Rodgers early in the first round. With top notch receivers and a dynamo of a tight end there's no stopping the points. If you look at last year's numbers you'll find other top QB's had a few huge games and a few duds, whereas Rodgers had more consistent numbers each week.

Peyton Manning -- Depth of talent at wide receiver in Indianapolis, talent at tight end, and you know Manning is steaming over how the Super Bowl ended... Plus a fairly easy passing SOS, and nice matchups during playoff time.

Joe Flacco -- The addition of WR Anquan Boldin should help Baltimore's passing game to explode.

Brett Favre -- I think it would be tough to match last year's statistics in Minnesota, expecially with the Vikings' sudden receiver woes. But he's still a value pick considering where he goes in drafts. And don't forget how good the Vikings O-line is.

Phillip Rivers -- Will he have his left tackle this season? What about VJ? These are the reasons Rivers has fallen down draft boards. But balance that with the fact the Chargers' schedule is super light. All Rivers does is produce. Good value here.

Eli Manning -- Getting better with age, and suddenly has a deep receiving core.

Carson Palmer -- Talent all around. 2010 should be his year. But the difficult schedule in Cincinnati keeps him from coming into the season as your #1 QB.

Chad Henne -- I liked Henne end of last season, even before Miami signed Brandon Marshall. Expect bright things from Miami's passing game in 2010. Word of caution-- if you saw Miami's preseason week 1 game, you're already nervous about starting Henne in wet weather... What was up with those slippery ducks?

Kevin Kolb -- Steps into an offense surrounded by talent in Philadelphia.

Tight Ends in Good Spots for the 2010 Season:

Dallas Clark -- No-brainer in Indianapolis. Fair SOS for the TE position.

Antonio Gates -- Generally speaking the Chargers' schedule is a breeze, but not to the TE position. Hmmmm. I'll believe it if I see Gates stopped.

Jason Witten -- Soft SOS for tight ends.

Jermichael Finley -- Last year we wrote, "Opponents have to worry about Green Bay's deep group of receivers. The tight end position could flourish. And this guy has it all..." In 2010 let's add, "the easiest SOS for tight ends."

Visanthe Shiancoe -- The Vikings have such a strong running game and good receivers. There's not enough resources to cover the tight end. Much like we wrote last season.

Brent Celek -- Nice SOS for TE's.

Defenses in Good Spots for the 2010 Season:

Dallas Cowboys -- As solid of a defense as you can find.

Green Bay Packers -- Dom Capers working his magic.

Minnesota Vikings -- They'll be no shortage of sacks from this group.

San Francisco 49ers -- Easy schedule for this solid unit.

Pittsburgh Steelers -- Getting Troy Polamalu back is a good place to be.

Baltimore Ravens -- Tremendous front seven.

New York Jets -- Defensive mastermind Rex Ryan is the head coach. Need to get Darrelle Revis signed.

Cincinnati Bengals -- Defense has gone from laughing stock to solid through and through.

Kickers in Good Spots for the 2010 Season:

Nate Kaeding -- Easy SOS. If the Chargers struggle to score TD's without WR Vincent Jackson and LT Marcus McNeill, that could result in even more field goal opportunities.

Ryan Longwell -- Stacked offense in Minnesota. Indoors for many contests.

Stephen Gostkowski -- The Patriots face a tough schedule... So if they fail to punch the ball into the end zone you're looking at lots of field goal attempts.

Rob Bironas -- A beast.

Now continuing on with the all important fantasy football tip... Strength of schedule.