There is a particular kind of genius in spotting the FPL bargain before everyone else does. The cheap midfielder hoovering up set-piece returns, the promoted striker no one fancies, the budget goalkeeper keeping clean sheets behind an organised low-block. Since Fantasy Premier League launched for the 2002-03 season, those moments of foresight have defined the game as much as any premium asset.

With research from Fantasy Football Scout and the expertise of FPL analyst Thomas Woods, BBC Sport has attempted to rank the most iconic picks in the competition's history — players who offered genuine value, whether through raw points tallies or the sheer disbelief with which the rest of your mini-league watched them rack up returns.

The Case for the Premium

Before getting to the bargains, it is worth acknowledging that value does not always mean cheap. Mo Salah has topped 200 points in a single season eight times since the game began — a figure no other player comes close to matching. He is also the only player to have ever broken the 300-point barrier, and he has done it on two separate occasions. When a premium asset delivers at that level of consistency, the budget sacrifice makes itself.

Thierry Henry, Frank Lampard and Cristiano Ronaldo all topped the FPL scoring charts in multiple seasons during the game's early years. Henry finished as top scorer in three of the first four campaigns. Lampard, arriving late into the box with trademark precision, led the charts three times from midfield. Ronaldo did it twice during his first spell at Manchester United. Premium picks, yes — but iconic ones.

The Bargains That Built Legends

The real folklore of FPL, though, belongs to the players who arrived undervalued and left with reputations made.

Harry Kane is a prime example. Beginning the 2014-15 season at just £5m as a likely back-up at Tottenham, Kane did not score his first Premier League goal until a 90th-minute winner in November. What followed was extraordinary — 21 goals across the campaign, including a run of 77 points across just eight gameweeks. He peaked at £6.4m and finished with 191 points, ranking 11th on the all-time value list despite playing fewer minutes than any player above him.

Charlie Adam's 2010-11 season with Blackpool remains one of the most celebrated single-season hauls from a promoted player. The Scottish midfielder took set-pieces, penalties and corners for Ian Holloway's side and finished the season with 12 goals and 192 FPL points — bettered only by Manchester United's Nani that campaign. Blackpool were relegated, but Adam's virtual managers were already counting their gains.

Michel Vorm arrived at Swansea City in 2011-12 priced at just £4m. He conceded four on his Premier League debut at Manchester City, which looked grim. He also made 11 saves that afternoon — more than any other goalkeeper would manage in a single game that entire season. The Dutchman went on to reward those who held their nerve.

What Makes an Icon?

The debate around FPL iconography is genuinely contested. Is it raw points production? Extraordinary value relative to price? Cultural moment — the pick that had everyone talking in the office on a Monday morning? Almost certainly it is some combination of all three.

Michu, the Swansea forward who arrived in 2012-13 and promptly scored 18 Premier League goals from a seemingly unmissable price point, gets a mention in FPL conversations to this day. Players like him — brief, brilliant, completely unexpected — sit at the heart of what makes the game compelling across decades and millions of teams worldwide.

The market moves quickly and template squads now spread across the globe. But the spirit of FPL has always been the same: spot what others have missed, trust the instinct and watch the points roll in.

Frequently asked

Who has scored the most FPL points in a single season ever?
Mo Salah holds the record, having broken 300 Fantasy Premier League points in a single season on two separate occasions — the only player ever to reach that total.
What was Harry Kane's FPL price when he first broke through?
Kane started the 2014-15 FPL season at just £5m, rising to a peak of £6.4m after scoring 21 Premier League goals and accumulating 191 points across the campaign.
When did Fantasy Premier League officially start?
The official Fantasy Premier League game launched for the 2002-03 Premier League season and has grown into a global competition with millions of players taking part each year.