It's crunch time in the MotoGP™ Fantasy season with the nine Grands Prix in the next eleven weekends deciding who will take the 2020 crown. New Zealand's Portys Prince currently tops the global leaderboard with an incredible 609.5 points, but the Kiwi is only 3.5 points clear of Germany's Redpassion ahead of this weekend's Lenovo Grand Prix of San Marino and the Rimini Riviera.
The current top three riders of 2020 are Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), with the trio having bagged 131, 117 and 113 points respectively over the opening five rounds of the year.
The in-form man right now, though, is by far and away Binder after the South African collected 109 of his 117 points over the past three rounds. The Czech GP winner, therefore, is an absolute must-have at still only 1.8M. Plus, despite his form, the KTM man could act as a good differential as he remains only the seventh most-selected rider after more people traded him out of their team rather than bringing him in following the Styrian GP.
Consistency brings BIG rewards! ????
— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) September 9, 2020
Here's the in-form riders over the last 3 races in the @motul #MotoGPFantasy ????#MotoGP pic.twitter.com/SrUJYEdhuq
When it comes to your vital factory pick, the most traded out manufacturer is Yamaha ahead of the San Marino GP, which is unsurprising following a lacklustre Red Bull Ring double-header. But the 691 of you that have ditched the blue brand may want to rethink that decision, with all four Yamaha riders having finished inside the top five behind Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) just 12 months ago. Yamaha are bound to rediscover their form at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli and pick up some big points once again.
However, they remain the most owned manufacturer with 27,796 of you having Yamaha in your side, over 17,000 more than the next best Ducati. So, there is definitely great value in looking away from Yamaha if you're trying to find a small edge over your rivals. KTM have scored an incredible 104 points over last three Grands Prix, making them the in-form factory, and are a strong pick ahead of Misano - a circuit they've already had the chance to test at earlier in the year.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP's Maverick Viñales is the most transferred-out rider at the moment, with over 700 of you ditching the Spaniard. His ownership percentage remains strong, though, and he remains the second most-owned rider. Pramac Racing's Jack Miller, meanwhile, is the most transferred-in rider with a whole host of you expecting the Australian to continue challenging at the front.
Here's the @motul #MotoGPFantasy optimal team for the #AustrianGP ????
— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) August 27, 2020
Did you have any of these riders in your team? ????#MotoGP pic.twitter.com/rdMsnqkPRm
However, with Miller never having finished inside the top five at Misano in his MotoGP™ career, whilst Viñales has finished inside the top five in each of his last four visits, the Spaniard might be a better choice for the San Marino double.
Our final pick for the weekend is none other than The Doctor, Valentino Rossi. Only three men have scored more points than the nine-time World Champion over the past three rounds (Binder, Dovizioso and Miller) and we're only heading to his home circuit. The 41-year-old has done more laps around Misano than we care to imagine and will surely be right at the sharp end this weekend.
Don't forget, it's never too late to join MotoGP™ Fantasy and challenge your friends! The game is FREE and available now on motogp.com, fantasy.motogp.com and in the official MotoGP™ app – so get started on your MotoGP™ Fantasy now if you haven't already!