One has to wonder about Skip Schumaker's homelife, as he is way more productive on the road.

Who’s hot and who’s not? Lefty versus righty? A hitter’s history against a starting pitcher? You answer these questions everyday when making out your daily fantasy lineups. You ask the same questions when trolling the free agent wire looking for a starting pitcher for tomorrow. There is one more facet to this equation: the home/away splits. Call it the Dante Bichette factor. Bichette was a prolific hitter for the Colorado Rockies from 1993-1999. He did most of his damage at home, in the thin air of Coors Field. Bichette’s lifetime average was .358 at Coors, and .278 everywhere else. He slugged .641 at Coors, but only .424 as a visiting player. You get the idea.

It’s common to perform better at home than on the road. It affects your fantasy decision making, especially with regard to the marginal fantasy player. For top-tier talent, it’s not a big deal. Scott Kazmir, for example, has a 0.47 ERA and 0.79 WHIP at home. His road figures are not nearly as good, but they are still above average (3.27 ERA and 1.27 WHIP). You would never bench Kazmir just because he is pitching away from Tropicana Field.

The home/away splits can be critical for the middle-of-the-road players. There are quite a few Bichettes out there — superb at home, but below average on the road. Some starting pitchers are worth a pickup for their next home start, but should be dropped before their next turn on the road. If you need a hitter, take a look at his splits and his upcoming schedule. Look elsewhere if that free agent does all his hitting at home and his team is leaving for a nine-game road trip. Bichette happens.

Let’s take a sampling of players that have significant variances between home and away production. Let’s also factor in the upcoming schedule to see if the calendar works to their advantage (for better) or detriment (for worse).

For Better

Greg Maddux, Starting Pitcher, San Diego Padres: Overall, the 42-year-old Maddux has back-of-the-rotation stats. He is 3-4 with a 3.76 ERA, a 1.30 WHIP and 33 Ks in 64.2 innings. Maddux’s home/away splits are stunning, however. At home he has a 1.84 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP. On the road he has a 5.35 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP. This future Hall-Of-Famer knows how to use a pitcher’s park to fullest advantage. When he pitches at Wrigley Field or in Arizona, his diminished velocity is exposed. When he pitches at PETCO Park or other pitcher-friendly venues like AT&T Park, he does great. His next start is at AT&T followed by two at PETCO. Maddux is available in most leagues and is definitely worth a pickup.

Chris Snyder, Catcher, Arizona Diamondbacks: Overall, Snyder is a decent fantasy catcher with a .275 average and an .868 OPS. At Chase Field he hits .308 with a .968 OPS – great! Away from Phoenix he hits .236 with a .746 OPS – not so great. This is no fluke as Snyder has hit significantly better at home in prior seasons. The Diamondbacks are home until June 2nd, so Snyder would be a good pickup for the next few days before they go on a ten-game road trip. Snyder is available in most leagues.

Brian Bannister, Starting Pitcher, Kansas City Royals: Bannister has been a streaky pitcher. He began the season in spectacular fashion before getting hit hard the past month. Bannister went from being undrafted, to being owned in every league and finally to being dropped in most leagues. Part of Bannister’s problem is the schedule. Bannister has pitched well in four of five home games, but he has been terrible in four consecutive road games. Bannister is 3-2, with a 2.29 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP at home. On the road he is 1-4 with an 8.44 ERA and a 1.61 WHIP. Bannister’s next game is at home against the offensively challenged Indians. If he is ever worth a pickup, this is the game.

James Shields, Starting Pitcher, Tampa Bay Rays: A key member of the upstart Rays, Shields has dominated at home with a 3-1 record, a 1.75 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP. He holds batters to a .186 average at Tropicana Field. On the road he is 1-2, with a 6.04 ERA and a 1.69 WHIP. Opposing batters bludgeon him to a .325 clip on the road. Lucky for him, Shields’s next start is May 30th, against the White Sox at Tropicana Field.

Todd Wellemeyer, Starting Pitcher, St. Louis Cardinals: The 29-year-old Wellemeyer finally got a chance to start last year with the Cardinals. He is a better starter than he was a reliever. Pitching at Busch Stadium seems to agree with him as well. Wellemeyer has a lifetime ERA of 2.97 at Busch. His career ERA is 4.63. This season he is 4-1 with a 2.70 ERA at home, while 1-0 with a 3.89 ERA on the road. If you are in one of the few leagues where he is still available, grab him before his next start, May 31st, at home against the Pirates.

For Worse

Cristian Guzman, Shortstop, Washington Nationals: Guzman went from an undrafted free agent to being owned in just about every fantasy league. His .298 average is a nice surprise, as are his 5 HR and his .451 slugging. Guzman is hitting .330 at Nationals Park, but only .262 on the road. Guzman is a career .265 hitter. The most dramatic splits are in slugging (.500 at home, .398 on the road) and OPS (.839 at home and .701 on the road). If you have Guzman, you may want to bench him until the Nats come home on June 3rd for a seven-game home stand.

Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Red Sox: Pedroia has slumped lately, his average falling to .289. A road trip will do that. Pedroia’s lifetime average is 66 points higher at home than it is on the road. Pedroia is not a productive fantasy second baseman when he is away from Fenway. He is hitting only .263 with an anemic .641 OPS on the road. If you have other options, consider sitting Pedroia until June 3rd when Boston begins a nine-game home stand.

Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, Red Sox: Same situation here as Pedroia’s. Ellsbury is hitting on .209 on the road, versus .361 at home. His slugging average is only .244 away from Fenway.

Michael Bourn, OF, Astros: Bourn leads the majors in stolen bases with 23. That makes him useful in Roto leagues, despite the .216 average and .580 OPS. He is quite a bit better at home. At Minute Maid Park, his average is a more respectable .242; on the road it’s .189. Don’t expect any improvement until the Astros return to Houston on June 6th for a nine-game home stand.

Bucking the Trend

Skip Schumaker, OF, Cardinals: Available in most leagues, Schumaker is Mr. Opposite. He hits much better on the road, .337, than at Busch Stadium where he hits only .224. The Cardinals begin a nine-game road trip on June 3rd. Wait on Schumaker until June 3rd, at the earliest.

Aaron Harang, SP, Reds: Harang is another Mr. Opposite. He pitches much better on the road. That makes sense, given the hitter-friendly conditions at the Great American Ballpark. His ERA is more than a run lower on the road (2.79 vs. 3.93). Too bad his next scheduled start is home against Atlanta on June 1st.