DO

Recognise the value of unfashionable players

You want to sport some Dolce & Gabbana gear, but there’s nothing wrong with Marks & Spencer underpants, either. And it’s the less flashy names who could just make the difference. Paul Konchesky was a more effective left back than Patrice Evra in PTG last season, but he plays for Fulham and has a head like an egg, so will go much later than Evra in the player allocation in most leagues. Anyone can pick a Torres or a Terry — it’s spotting lesser names who can make large contributions that will make the difference.

Some research

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The more you put in, the more you’ll get out. So study the information in this guide, on the PTG site and elsewhere.

The squad selection process is crucial, so make sure you prepare adequately. If you’re doing it offline in a room with a bunch of your mates: great, it’s brilliant fun. The smirks if you unwittingly pick a player whose leg was amputated a day earlier: less brilliant. All it takes to avoid this scenario is a little prep work. Oh, and beware the influence of excess alcohol, which can make you do strange things, such as taking Emile Heskey ahead of Carlos Tévez.

Scour the free-agent list

After every player allocation is complete there are always some good players who aren’t picked up or some who suddenly become valuable — back-ups who are promoted to first choice because of injuries, for example. Chances are there will be a few players in your squad who you don’t rate, so replace them. And it’s a guarantee that at some point during the season one of your rivals will rashly give a talented player the boot, allowing you to swoop like a cackling vulture.

Read all the way down to the bottom of the official list when compiling rankings

Our rankings are a guide, not gospel. Take a gander at the lower reaches of the list of available players — it’s bargain central down there, like finding the Crown Jewels in TK Maxx. Men who had an injury-hit 2008-09, such as Theo Walcott, Joe Cole, Yakubu Ayegbeni, Didier Drogba, Eduardo da Silva and Ricardo Carvalho, are ranked far lower than their true value, so (a) don’t forget they are there; and (b) remember they will probably be moved up the rankings on rival managers’ wish lists.

Aim for a balanced squad

Don’t become obsessed with creating a Manchester City-style galáctico attack if it means you end up with a Hull City-esque defence. A squad with a mix of ability across all scoring categories should be your aim. With 20 men, you have the space to take a punt on a few injury risks, but not even Kieron Dyer would want a team of Kieron Dyers.

Create a wish list

This is where you deviate from our player rankings by making your own. Think of it as like the Christmas wish list you gave to your parents when you were a kid. Come December 25, you probably didn’t get everything you wanted, but at least you weren’t stuck with a Rubik’s Cube when you had your heart set on an Action Man. So it’s worthwhile, and a fun exercise in managerial mind games as you predict the ranking tactics of your rival gaffers. If one’s a Tottenham Hotspur fan, will he attempt to stack up on Spurs players by putting them near the top of his list?

DON'T

Overrate potential

It’s worth taking a couple of gambles but don’t be dazzled by hype. Gabriel Obertan is a talent, but will he become a fantasy god this season? Doubtful given the limited playing time he’ll see at Old Trafford.

So don’t overrate him when you come to compile your wish list. He may not be sexy, he only plays for Stoke City, but Matthew Etherington will probably score more fantasy points next season.

Live in the past

Like it says on those TV finance adverts, past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Of course, it’s an important indicator, especially with players as consistent as Frank Lampard or Jamie Carragher.

But take the example of David Bentley. Fantasy gold with Blackburn Rovers in 2007-08, fantasy dirt with Tottenham Hotspur in 2008-09.

You may rate a player, but always consider his context — how might age, health, a new manager, a move to a different club or a rival for his position affect him? Was he — and his club — abnormally good, or bad, last season?

And more top tips: wheeling and dealing

Some inventions are just pointless. Sunglasses for dogs. The motorised ice-cream cone. Alcohol-free beer. The transfer window. What use is the transfer window, really? No one likes it, and unlike lesser fantasy games, PlayTheGame doesn’t have it. Quite the reverse — we encourage transfers as one of the key, and most entertaining, parts of the experience.

There’s no limit on transfers, and with 20-man squads, you have lots of room for manoeuvre. There are two ways of performing surgery on your team. You can discard one of your players and replace him with someone who’s on the out-of-contract list because no one owns him. This is a great way of ditching struggling members of your side and bringing in little-heralded players who are on a hot streak, or former reserves or fringe players who suddenly have value because they’ve forced their way into their club’s first team. If several sides want a player who’s just been released by another team in your league, a priority list decides who gets him.

Then there’s the really intriguing bit that will test your imagination, knowledge and powers of persuasion: transfers between teams. In PlayTheGame, transfers are about skill and judgment, not money. You make them by proposing swap deals to other managers. Perhaps you’ve got an excess of defenders but need more bite up front. Maybe one of your rivals has the opposite problem. So you offer Glen Johnson to that team and ask for Ashley Young in return.

No luck? You could try setting your sights a little lower, or sweetening the deal by throwing in two or even three players for one. Your fellow manager may even make a counter-offer. And he may try to fleece you, if you haven’t already tried to do the same to him. So get bargaining: it can make a real difference to your season; no agents necessary.

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