Debate Team: Who is the Better Fantasy Option, Bryce Harper or Manny Machado?

Each week, two of theScore's fantasy experts argue over an enticing topic in debate form. This week, Josh Ghatak and Josh Wegman will debate whether Bryce Harper or Manny Machado is the better fantasy player going forward.

Josh Ghatak: Machado was left out of the 'best hitter debate' in the preseason, with Harper, Mike Trout, and Paul Goldschmidt the top options. But after 30 games, Machado has elevated himself into the discussion, and in my opinion is the best option going forward.

The Orioles superstar has a sensational .365/.424/.722 slash line - similar to Harper's .330/.460/.649 line from last season. He projects to finish with 240 hits, 78 doubles, 52 homers, 120 RBIs and 135 runs at his current pace.

Though Machado won't reach all of those figures, it seems likely he'll come close in a few of them.

While the most common argument is that Harper is by far the superior option at the plate, Machado is making the argument closer than ever before.

Josh Wegman: There's no denying Machado's talents. It seems like he can produce line drives at will. Any fantasy player would be lucky to have him on his team, especially considering his shortstop eligibility.

With that being said, I'm still taking Harper in this debate despite the inferior stats to being the season. I truly believe Harper is the best young hitter the game has seen since Alex Rodriguez - and maybe even better.

Machado's on-pace stats are ridiculous, but Harper's aren't too shabby either: 122 hits, 49 home runs, 132 RBIs, 108 runs and 166 walks. They key there is the 166 walks, potentially leading to a Barry Bonds-like OBP and OPS. In leagues that have either category, Harper will wind up being the far superior fantasy talent at season's end.

Ghatak: Yes, Harper will post robust OBP and OPS numbers. But if you haven't noticed, Machado is doing the same without the help of being walked nearly every at-bat. His OBP and OPS sit at .424 and 1.147, respectively, while Harper's numbers come in at .433 and 1.035.

The difference: Machado actually gets the opportunity to hit the ball.

As a result of getting walked so often, Harper's average, home run and RBI numbers won't hit the projections many had for him, and no one drafted Harper to win OBP or OPS alone.

Machado, on the other hand, has superior lineup protection in Baltimore and will continue to contribute in every single fantasy category in use.

Wegman: Here's the thing though; Harper's batting average, OBP, OPS and home run totals project to be on the rise, while Machado's can expect to decline.

Machado's BABIP is .375 this season, well above his career mark of .314. Expect this to neutralize, even with his high line drive rate. He could very well hit .330, but he won't continue to hit .365.

Harper's BABIP is an absurdly low .235 compared to his career mark of .328. This would indicate that he has been unlucky with balls he has put in play and his batting average will surely rise with normalization.

It's amazing that Harper's OBP is .433 despite being so unlucky on balls that have been put in play. It's scary to think that it could approach .500 once the bounces start going his way.

Ghatak: I'll give you the BABIP argument, but analytics won't save you in terms of positional scarcity. Machado's eligibility at SS and 3B is massive in terms of value; he fills both positions while providing Harper-like numbers.

Though Harper is a superior hitter, his statistics come from the deepest position in fantasy baseball. With hundreds of outfielders available in fantasy, Harper is actually easier to replace than Machado in any fantasy league and on any fantasy team.

Ultimately, Machado is the best fantasy player to own going forward thanks to the combination of his individual play, lineup protection, and positional scarcity.

Wegman: It's certainly harder to find an elite shortstop than an elite outfielder.

Yet, with the whole litter of players to choose from, I'll still take the No. 1 overall player. Most metrics point to Harper finishing as the top fantasy player - or at least above Machado.

Machado has a home run/fly ball ratio of 25.6 percent. This is significantly higher than the league average of 10, and his own career mark of 14.1.

Harper's HR/FB ratio stands at 25 percent. This is also much higher than the league average, but it's only a 4.6 percent jump from his career mark and 2.3 percent lower than his HR/FB ratio from a season ago.

Harper also hits 15.1 percent more fly balls than Machado. Expect Harper to run away with the long ball race between the two. I'm aware home runs aren't everything, but they lead to more RBIs, a higher slugging percentage and a higher OPS.

If a league has hits, runs, home runs, RBIs, stolen bases, batting average, OBP, SLG and OPS (every notable offensive statistic in my opinion), Harper will have the advantage. He will likely lose in hits, runs and batting average to Machado, but he will take the rest.

Sometimes the most simple draft strategy is the best one to take into a draft, trade offer or, in this case, a dispute between two top players: take the best player available. In my opinion, that will be Harper by season's end, just like it was in 2015, and just like it will be for many years to come.