Oliveira, Marquez and more create shopping list crisis

We may only be two rounds into 2021's MotoGP™ Fantasy season, but this weekend feels like an important one. A complete change in scenery, from the night sky of Doha to the Algarve rollercoaster that is Portimao, will no doubt bring with it a change in fortunes for a number of MotoGP™ riders. And with only one transfer at your disposal, it's vital you use it wisely.

Let's take a look at who you should be considering for this weekend, firstly with 2020's home hero: Miguel Oliveira. It's impossible to look past the Red Bull Factory KTM man after his dominance in last year's season finale. Pole position, fastest lap and a race win saw him walk away with a perfect 40 point haul and you'd be hard-pressed to argue against a similar points haul this year. Don't let the frustrations of Qatar put you off, at just 2.5m he's a great choice for this weekend.

Next up is another man who struggled in Qatar: Franco Morbidelli. Problems throughout both Losail weekends saw 2020's MotoGP™ runner-up slump to a disappointing start to the new season. However, a change of scenery will surely do him some good and, if last year's form book is anything to go by, he'll back at the sharp end in Portimao. Second in Q1 and then second in Q2, followed by third in the race, saw him take 29 points last year. Plus, after his price dropped to 2.8m, he's definitely worth looking at.

Our final two picks ahead of the 888 Portuguese Grand Prix are the two men sat in the Repsol Honda box: Pol Espargaro and the returning Marc Marquez. First up, Pol. He showed he had the pace to compete at the front in Qatar with a handful of small mistakes costing him dearly. But couple his pace with his form in Portimao and he could be a dark horse to take away a big points haul this weekend. In 2020, the Spaniard amounted a tidy 25 points thanks to his rise through the field. Having qualified down in ninth, Espargaro came across the line in fourth and, therefore, walked away with ten bonus points for the five places he gained. Another interesting option for Round 3.

Finally, we have Marc Marquez. There's no form book to look at when it comes to the eight-time World Champion and MotoGP™ Fantasy, but sometimes you just have to trust your gut. Surely, over the next few weeks, everyone in your mini-league will be making room for the Spaniard in their Fantasy teams, so why not make the jump early before his price rises. 3.7m is still an expensive asset, the joint-second most expensive in the game, but that price is only going to skyrocket if the old Marquez returns. Take a gamble early and jump on the Marquez bandwagon before it starts gathering momentum is motogp.com's opinion.

The big question that remains is who do you ditch for any of these four riders? That's a question we simply don't know the answer to. Keep a close eye on the action throughout Friday and Saturday before making sure your team is locked in at the revised deadline time of 15:00 CET on Saturday, April 17th.