3 players that could help their team succeed in the East semifinal

The Edmonton Eskimos and Hamilton Tiger-Cats are set to kick off the CFL playoffs with an Eastern Semifinal showdown at Tim Hortons Field on Sunday.

The matchup features its fair share of stars, but these X-factors are just as likely to help their respective team march on to the next round:

Ted Laurent - Tiger-Cats

Ted Laurent enjoyed another standout season after re-signing with Hamilton in the offseason. The 303-pound defensive tackle dominated inside, and finished the campaign with 26 tackles and eight sacks to show for it. The Tiger-Cats received excellent production off the edge as well, with John Chick racking up 14 sacks, but Laurent's ability to dominate the run game and pass game makes him the Tiger-Cats' most valuable defender.

Derel Walker - Eskimos

Much of the attention in Edmonton's passing attack goes to Adarius Bowman -rightfully so since he led the CFL in receiving - but the Robin to his Batman is equally as dangerous. Derel Walker finished right behind Bowman for the league lead in yardage among receivers, and added 10 touchdowns to cap a stellar sophomore campaign. The 25-year-old was named a West Division All-Star for the second straight year, and is a legit No. 1 receiver playing in a No. 2 receiver role in the Eskimos' offence.

Brandon Banks - Tiger-Cats

Special teams usually have a way of factoring into big games, so it's worth keeping an eye on one of the most prolific return men in the game in Hamilton's Brandon Banks. Though he had only one return touchdown this year, Banks ranked second in the CFL in kickoff return yards and first in missed field goal return yards. He's also a major threat in the punt return game, and this season contributed 32 receptions and four touchdowns as a receiver.