Sometimes it's the little things that make the difference. Every week we take you around the Eastern Conference for a look at the day-to-day developments on real NBA teams and how they might affect your fantasy squad.

The Celtics still don't have an answer for their woes up front and at point guard which means Mark Blount is back in the starting lineup at the expense of Raef LaFrentz. In his last five games Blount averaged nearly 13 points, but his rebounds (less than five) and blocks (barely one per game) leave a lot to be desired from a center. Regardless, a good pickup in deep leagues. At least he is playing. Lafrentz, who held so much promise this season, fails to deliver (again) and should be headed to the waiver wire in your league by now ... Marcus Banks returns to action and has played his way into the starting lineup. Upgrade for Banks, downgrade both Delonte West and Dan Dickau. Does anyone even own them at this point?

It just got better for Jason Kidd owners. Kidd, who was uncharacteristically below the eight assist per game mark (he averages above nine for his career), has a whopping 39 assists in his last three games. The crystal ball predicts triple-doubles in the near future (I know anyone can predict that, but hey, the crystal ball sounds all mystical.) ... I'm still concerned about Richard Jefferson. I mean his stats still look good but the trend isn't encouraging. Lack of three-pointers, steals, blocks in December is starting to affect RJ’s overall value. I'd look to shop him around before others catch on.

Anytime some player is on the trading block, trade rumors involving the Knicks start making rounds, and if you believe in rumors Ron Artest is going to the Knicks. Yeah, right! Seems far fetched but anything can happen when it’s the Knicks. Anyway if a trade were to happen, the Knicks would probably have to give up Channing Frye. Yup, the rookie is their most tradeable player and also the most consistent on their team. Frye is rebounding better as the season progresses, with nearly nine rebounds per game in his last five... Eddy Curry is out with some ankle injury but doesn't figure to miss more than a couple of games.

Though just above .500 in the standings the 76ers starters are turning up great fantasy stats ... Kyle Korver, who was just okay in November, is lighting up December with three-pointers from all over the place. Three-pointers are his specialty and when he’s getting three of them every game you know you are looking at an elite fantasy player ... I was getting a bit worried about Samuel Dalembert after he logged just two rebounds against the Heat, but 18 rebounds against the Raptors are enough to convince me that he'll be fine ... Deep leaguers should pay attention to Shavlik Randolph. Randolph is getting close to 20 minutes a game which should continue if Steven Hunter misses more time due to injury. Nothing special but back to back double-digit rebound games (12 and 10) deserve a look.

What's wrong with Jalen Rose? He has been disappointing thus far, but a total of six points in four games??? Let's hope that's the bottom ... Jose Calderon, the one trick Spanish pony, is injured and on the inactive roster taking his six assists with him. It’s something like the injured list of the old. If you are on it you are out for a minimum one to two weeks ... Charlie Villanueva who is averaging 15 points per game in December is injured too, though it doesn't look like he will miss more than a couple of games ... Mike James finally hit some three-pointers this month and did he connect or what? Nine in four games. Now let’s see you get some steals, Mike.

The Luol-Deng-at-starting-Power-Forward-Experiment has hit a snag. Deng's scoring went down with the move and now he’s injured. Should be back soon but playing power forward is taking a toll on Deng's fantasy value ... Tyson Chandler gets the start with Deng out, though his fantasy value remains minimal. Having raised expectations after signing a big contract at the start of the season Chandler figures among the fantasy busts this season ... Chris Duhon is providing a surprise scoring punch to the Bulls backcourt. Duhon averaged nearly 16 points per game in his last six games scoring in double-digits in five of them. More importantly, he has hit 21 three-pointers in these six games. Combine that with his nearly six assists per game this season and Duhon leads the list of underrated fantasy point guards.

LeBron James takes less than 20 shots in each of his last three games, the Cavs win all three. Funny ain't it? Fantasy-wise, James is dishing out more assists now, up from 4.5 per game in November to above 6.5 per game in December and his shooting percentage is a ridiculous 63 percent in his last three games. There isn't much to complain about other than those four turnovers per game ... Finally the real Damon Jones decides to stand up. Jones is heating up with 13 three-pointers in the last four games and, though he contributes absolutely nothing in other categories, he's worth a look in deep leagues.

With 20 wins in 23 games, the Pistons are on pace to touch the 1995-96 Bulls' legendary 72-win mark and yet, other than their opponents, not many people are taking them seriously ... I didn't take Ben Wallace seriously either and he just proved me wrong racking up more than 14 rebounds, 2.4 steals, and 3.6 blocks in his last five games. Now there's the Big Ben I know!!! ... If anyone isn't satisfied with the way the Pistons' starters are playing let me know. Seems like a mention here can get them going.

Ron Artest now wants back in! The joke just writes itself ... Told ya! Danny Granger is the real deal, as evidenced with his 12 points, six rebounds, two three-pointers, and three blocks against the Knicks. Expect more such stat-sheet-stuffings from Granger in games to come ... Jamaal Tinsley is back from his injured absence and as expected burned the Knicks for 23 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. He is good but gets injured far too often. If you haven't shipped him out yet, this comeback gives you another good opportunity to get something back for him. Use it ... Good time to get Sarunas Jasikevicius for peanuts too, citing Tinsley's return. Well, not peanuts, but you get the idea.

Bobby Simmons returns with his 12 points and five rebounds for the Bucks, after missing a week to injury. Mo Williams, who started in his absence, will go back to the bench but will continue to see heavy minutes. In the fantasy world, Williams has more value than Simmons, something that’s unlikely to change anytime soon ... Jamaal Magloire averaged a double-double in December but doesn't have enough blocks to count him among the top fantasy centers. It also doesn't help that at 55 percent his free throw percentage rivals that of Shaquille O'Neal. His career numbers suggest he can improve in both categories and is a nice investment at this point of the season.

Whoa!! What was that? I mean, the Hawks are entitled to win four out of five games at some point during the season but taking out the Spurs, the Cavaliers, the Knicks and the Nuggets? Awesome!! ... Joe Johnson played like the franchise-savior he was supposed to be. Johnson's 22 points, five assists, and six rebounds, combined with more than two three-pointers per game are what most people expected from him all along and I can see a huge rush to get JJ on board now. If you own him, cash in on it now. His value won't get any higher this season ... Don't mistake Al Harrington for a three-point specialist either, even after he connected on six for six against the Knicks ... Harrington gets involved in almost every trade rumor and is more than likely to be traded before the deadline. Another player you should look to sell high.

Gerald Wallace, you are hereby instructed to give your fantasy owners a two weeks notice prior to missing games due to injury or coming back from an injury. Just as it has happened all season, I bench Wallace thinking he will miss more time and he comes back with six steals and seven blocks in two games. Hate it when this happens. Wallace is among the top fantasy performers this season based on averages. So long as you are careful about when you are playing him (and when you are not) you should be laughing your way to fantasy glory ... With Emeka Okafor and Kareem Rush both injured, Sean May and Raymond Felton both got to start a game together for the first time. Felton has shown he can fill up the box scores when given the chance and is a great short term pickup. May had a good stretch of games in November and if Okafor stays out for long he may be worth a look.

The Alonzo Mourning Block Count stands at 89 as 'Zo takes an injury break. Before missing the game against the Hawks, Mourning averaged around eight points, eight rebounds and 2.8 blocks in four games playing backup to Shaq, something which can be expected from him the rest of the way ... Shaq for his part is having his way with opposing centers though isn't blocking or rebounding as much as he used to diminishing his fantasy value. Personally, going by the trends of past couple of years I'd rather let someone else have Shaq.

The big story in Orlando is the return of Grant Hill whose 28 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals performance against the Mavericks epitomizes the value he adds to this team. Expect Hill to slowly build up his stats to last year’s near 20 points, five rebounds, and three assists level. Throw out an offer to his owner to see how much he values Hill. Chances are you could end up with a bargain ... Even though out of the starting lineup now, Jameer Nelson is getting himself noticed with his playmaking. Nelson should continue to get 25 to 30 minutes per game, good enough for 12 points and five assists.

Antawn Jamison is in a slump with just eight points per game in his last five. Jamison is the number two guy on this team and is expected to deliver almost 20 points every game. He'll get back on track soon. This slump just gives you an opportunity to buy him low from an impatient owner ... Chucky Atkins continues to see big minutes, nearly 30 a game, and is making good use of them, averaging 11 points and five assists with nearly two three-pointers per game. If Atkins continues to get minutes, he could be as useful for his threes as he was last year - which was quite a lot.

Pravin Bhandakkar is a fantasy expert for NBA.com. His column Around the Eastern Conference runs every Thursday as part of the NBA.com Premium Scouting Report. Contact him at Praywin@TalentedMrRoto.com .