F Patrick Patterson added 16 points Sunday as the Raptors pulled away in the fourth quarter before a sellout crowd of 19,800 at Air Canada Centre.

Patterson has started at power forward in all three of the Raptors' preseason games and is averaging eight points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 18.7 minutes per game.

It looks like the offseason departure of Amir Johnson will pave the way for Patterson to serve as the Raptors' starting power forward this season, at least initially. Lucas Scola, James Johnson, and Bismack Biyombo are the top candidates to see minutes behind Patterson, but the 26-year-old's ability to knock down three-pointers at a respectable clip will give the Raptors their most versatile lineup. Though it's difficult to see Patterson serving as much more than a third or fourth option offensively when he's on the court, the expected uptick in playing time that he'll receive may be enough for him to finish will career-highs this season in multiple categories.

Patterson intends to improve his low post scoring this offseason with intentions toward securing the starting power forward spot, the Toronto Star reports. "Realistically, [power forward] is the one role that's not filled yet," Patterson said. "I see it as it's mine to lose."

Patterson has transformed himself into one of the better stretch fours in the league, and the addition of a low-post game would allow coach Dwane Casey to shift Patterson to center in certain lineups. In four starts last season, he averaged 8.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.0 steal, 0.5 blocks, and 1.5 three-pointers in 25 minutes per game, roughly similar stats in less playing time coming off the bench. With DeMarre Carroll destined to play the power forward spot late in games, Patterson's playing time won't likely exceed 30 minutes per contest. He profiles as an out-of-position three-point specialist late-round flier.

Patterson posted averages of 8.0 points (45% FG, 37% 3Pt, 79% FT), 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 27 minutes per game during 81 regular season games.

In four playoff games versus the Wizards, the stretch power forward produced 10.3 points (56% FG, 47% 3Pt, 100% FT), 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 0.8 steals in 27 minutes per game. Fellow forwards Amir Johnson and Tyler Hansbrough are both set to become unrestricted free agents this summer, so it's certainly possible Patterson will enter 2015-16 with an increased role.

Patterson was held scoreless on 0-of-7 shooting Saturday. He did manage to post seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block in 32 minutes off the bench.

With Amir Johnson sidelined, Patterson was a likely candidate to move into the starting lineup, but Tyler Hansbrough got the nod instead. Patterson is shooting a dreadful 28 percent from the floor over his last five games and has been held scoreless in two of those contests.

Patterson struggled scoring Tuesday, with just four points, (2-11 FG, 0-4 3Pt) but was able to grab 10 rebounds and added three assists, two blocks, and a steal in 29 minutes to salvage his fantasy night.

This was a strange game statistically for Patterson, who normally shoots more efficiently, but doesn't always contribute across the board like he did Tuesday. Look for his stroke to return when the Raptors face the Heat on Friday.

Patterson moved back to his familiar bench role Saturday, scoring 10 points (4-7 FG, 2-5 3Pt) with five rebounds, two assists and two steals in 28 minutes.

Patterson is a decent contributor from beyond the arc, averaging 1.4 three-pointers over the season, but combined with 8.5 points and 5.4 rebounds, his ability to stay rostered in most fantasy leagues is tenuous. Couple that with Dwane Casey's inconsistent rotations in the frontcourt and Patterson is generally best left as a streaming option.

Patterson scored just four points (2-5 FG, 0-2 3Pt) with two rebounds in 22 minutes during Friday's loss to the Warriors.

Although he got the start at power forward, Patterson ended up seeing the same amount of court time as Amir Johnson in a blowout loss. Saturday's game against the Knicks should provide a better sense of how Raptors coach Dwane Casey plans to divvy up minutes between the two forwards.

Patterson will start in Friday's game against the Warriors.

Patterson has been playing well of late and will get the promotion over Amir Johnson on Friday. It's still unclear if this will be a permanent fixture moving forward, although Patterson is in line to see more time on the court over Johnson for the time being.

Patterson (knee) returned to the lineup during Tuesday's loss to the Mavericks, finishing with 12 points (5-11 FG, 2-6 3Pt), seven rebounds and an assist in 28 minutes.

Patterson was held out of Monday's matchup with the Pelicans due to a knee injury, but played without any restrictions Tuesday, so he looks to be fully over the injury. These numbers look to be on the higher end of his upside, so don't expect him to do much more than this on a nightly basis. He remains a key contributor for the Raptors though, so he'll occasionally be a decent source of points, three-pointers and rebounds for fantasy owners.

Patterson (knee) will play Tuesday in Dallas, TSN 1050's Josh Lewenberg reports.

He plays a key role off the bench in Toronto's frontcourt, and will be back to seeing around 25 minutes per game Tuesday.

Patterson (knee) won't be in the lineup on Monday, the Raptors announced.

Tyler Hansbrough will likely see additional minutes off the bench, although coach Dwane Casey could also use James Johnson at the four in a smaller lineup.

Patterson is questionable for Monday's game with a sprained left knee, TSN 1050's Josh Lewenberg reports.

Should Patterson sit out Monday, Tyler Hansbrough would see a bigger workload off the bench in the frontcourt. Continue to monitor Patterson's status leading up to tip-off.

Patterson scored nine points (3-8 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT) to go along with 11 rebounds, two assists and two steals in 31 minutes Monday against the Bucks.

Patterson is a favorite off the bench for the Raptors and has averaged 12.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.8 three-pointers over his last five games. He is not going to provide overwhelming stats on regular basis, but he is an interesting play in daily leagues depending on the matchup.

Patterson scored 16 points (5-7 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 3-4 FT) with six rebounds, two assists and a block in 37 minutes off the bench Saturday.

Jonas Valanciunas was limited to 17 minutes due to an ankle injury, which opened up plenty of court time for Patterson. If Valanciunas ends up missing any games, Patterson would get a nice short-term boost in his value, even if he doesn't actually move into the starting lineup.

Patterson put up 14 points and 13 rebounds off the bench Friday against the 76ers.

Curiously, Amir Johnson played only 17 minutes Friday, so Patterson was able to see increased run off the bench. Patterson has ramped up his productivity of late, averaging 10.7 points and 11.7 rebounds over his last three contests. He's still having a rough month, however, as he's shooting an atrocious 34 percent from the floor in January.

Patterson scored seven points (3-4 FG, 1-2 FT) to go along with 13 rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes Monday against the Bucks.

The Bucks don't have a ton of size up front, so Patterson took advantage on the glass. He has the ability to put up the occasional strong performance, but he doesn't play enough to be a major fantasy contributor.

Patterson scored 10 points (4-7 FG, 2-4 3Pt) with nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal in 25 minutes off the bench Saturday.

After going five games without scoring in double digits, Patterson bounced back against a depleted Celtics roster. He's capable of making a contribution in a number of categories on any given night, but his second unit role and usage keep him from being a reliable fantasy asset.

Patterson scored 11 points (4-8 FG, 3-6 3P) with five rebounds and four assists in 30 minutes off the bench Friday.

He's now scored in double digits in seven straight games, averaging 12.7 points, 4.6 boards and 2.7 threes over that stretch. Patterson only has fantasy value in deeper leagues, but he continues to play an important role as a stretch four on the Raptors' second unit.

Patterson scored 19 points (7-11 FG, 5-7 3P) with eight rebounds, two assists and a block in 39 minutes off the bench Monday.

He ended up seeing more court time than either Jonas Valanciunas or Amir Johnson, as Raptors' coach Dwane Casey rode his hot hand from beyond the arc. Patterson has scored in double digits in five of his last six games, averaging 11.7 points, 7.8 boards and 2.2 threes per game over that stretch.