I just sent this list to a newbie, and thought I'd post it here. I'm sure many of you have good rules, too.
My rules to play WIS by:
1. The game (and life) are streaky. Learn to live with this.
2. The game simulation uses statistical baselines. No matter who is hot or who is not, the best player to use is always the one with the best stats.
3. The best stats are OBP# and OPS# for hitters; and ERC# and WHIP# for pitchers.
4. Home runs (hitting them and allowing them) make a difference.
5. Plan ahead. This is a progressive league; ask yourself what you need to do each season and in each draft to keep your team competitive or make it more so.
6. Remember there are always others who understand this game better than you do (or I do). Read the general baseball forum regularly to find what there is to learn there. (If a post is written by zubinsum or boogerlips, it is worth reading, even if you don't understand it.)
7. There are 27 outs on each side in nine innings. Avoid strategies that waste outs. (For example, a batter with a higher OBP# makes fewer outs; a pitcher with a lower WHIP# creates more outs.)
8. Fast players, if they are managed (in the team settings) so that they are not reckless, will score more runs, all other things being equal.
9. All other things are not equal.
10. Luck is the residue of design.