This article is part of our CFL Picks series.
We have a key stretch-run Week 17 slate on tap, and with no team yet eliminated from postseason contention, there should be plenty of incentive across the four games.
We'll dive into a case for a pair of potential upsets this weekend while also highlighting one player for which conditions may be ripe for a breakout performance.
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Hamilton Tiger-Cats at 
B.C. Lions
Friday, 10:30 p.m ET
Depending on how this Tiger-Cats season turns out, it may be remembered for the early hole the team dug for itself and the fight it showed to climb out of it. Hamilton is now 5-9 after notching its third consecutive win in Week 16, a 33-31 squeaker of a road victory over the Argonauts.
Hamilton now looks to settle one of its early-season scores when it visits the Lions, which handed them a 44-28 thumping back in Week 5 at Tim Hortons Field. The Ti-Cats were in the midst of their aforementioned early-season swoon at the time, but Hamilton actually fought back from a 24-1 deficit to make matters somewhat interesting.
The Lions simply were too much of an offensive juggernaut at the time, as Vernon Adams was riding a red-hot streak to open the season and threw for 383 yards and four touchdowns in the contest. However, it will be Nathan Rourke, not Adams, who the Ti-Cats will deal with Friday night, and he's coming off a Week 15 benching against Toronto.
The Ti-Cats' defence remains a sore spot for the team, considering Hamilton has allowed a league-high 440 points and 41 offensive touchdowns. However, veteran quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell has been playing well enough to overcome any shortcomings on the other side of the ball, throwing for between 294 and 362 yards in four of the last six contests. The Lions' defence also has been vulnerable in its own right, surrendering 365.1 yards of net offence per game.
They've been particularly exploitable through the air, where they're surrendering a league-high 72.9 percent completion rate and 287.6 passing yards per game. Mitchell carved up the Lions for 374 yards – his second-highest total of the season – and three touchdowns without an interception in the aforementioned Week 5 clash.
The Ti-Cats could also get back the versatile Greg Bell this week after he missed Week 16 due to a personal matter, and if they don't, James Butler is about as good a "second-string" running back as there is around the league. With Rourke having shown some inconsistency lately and Mitchell riding a torrid stretch, there's an opportunity for the road team to escape with a fourth straight win.
Montreal Alouettes at 
Toronto Argonauts
Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET
The Alouettes rediscovered their form in Week 16 after a loss and a tie in the prior two games, recording a 24-12 win over the Redblacks. However, it was the defense that once again led the way for Montreal. The Als still have no semblance of a consistent ground attack, while veteran pivot Cody Fajardo has been playing just adequately over the last three games and completed only 59.3 percent of his passes against Ottawa.
The one-sided nature of the Als' offense could lead to difficulties in this road matchup against a 7-7 Argonauts squad that needs to stack up wins at this point of the season and that's already the CFL's best unit at defending the run. Toronto is allowing a league-low 76.0 rushing yards per game at a co-league-low 4.6 yards per carry, and in a Week 4 meeting that culminated in a 30-20 win for Montreal, Toronto held the defending Grey Cup champs to 25 net rushing yards at 2.1 yards per carry.
Even in that victory, the Als saw a much different Argonauts squad that they'll see Saturday. The most impactful change has been under center, where Cameron Dukes and Bryan Scott, who Montreal faced in that early-season battle, have been replaced by Chad Kelly. Following a delayed season debut due to a suspension, Kelly has been very effective while throwing for 1,630 yards and rushing for another 131. Kelly also has 10 total touchdowns (six passing, four rushing), and while he has tossed seven interceptions, four came in one game against the Redblacks.
The Argos have also involved Makai Polk much more into the air attack of late, giving Kelly another weapon alongside Damonte Coxie, DaVaris Daniels and David Ungerer. Ka'Deem Carey is another excellent pass-catching option out of the backfield, and the veteran's rushing prowess (876 rushing yards, 5.5 yards per carry, five TDs) could play a big role against a Montreal defense that's conceded the second-most rushing yards per game (112.1) and 5.4 yards per carry.
Finally, consider the Argos already recorded a 37-18 victory over Montreal in Week 6 with Dukes at quarterback, lending further credence to the notion they could pull off another win in this spot.
Week 17 Player To Pop
William Stanback, Lions: Despite liking Hamilton's chances of pulling off an upset on the road against the Lions, I also can envision Stanback helping put up plenty of resistance in his typically robust and versatile role. Stanback rushed 14 times for 82 yards and a touchdown while adding five catches for 74 yards and another score during B.C.'s aforementioned 44-28 Week 5 win.
Until a six-carry, 21-yard dud against a tough Argos run defense last week, Stanback had been running hot, posting between 87 and 128 rushing yards in the previous five contests. The Tiger-Cats make for good targets as well, allowing 371.7 yards of net offence per game and the second highest average yards per carry (5.4).
