With the 2016 fantasy baseball season approaching, bullpen depth charts can be tricky to decipher when entering your fantasy drafts. Projections of who will be vital to their respective team and to your fantasy team will be analyzed over the course of the next two months.

Below I've identified the projected NL West closers, setup men, and some of the noteworthy relievers that bridge a lead from starter to closer. The first and second names appearing after the closers below will mostly likely act as primary setup men, and be in line for holds. Bear in mind, most left-handed relievers identified will be used in specialist roles that make them more ideal in leagues with holds and will be a distant candidate for saves.

Don't forget that our closer depth charts are also updated all season long, so be sure to bookmark that page. And in case you missed it, our rankings dashboard has been loaded up with lots more preseason content to help you dominate your drafts.

NL West Depth Chart - Saves and Holds

Los Angeles Dodgers: Kenley Jansen (closer), Pedro Baez, Chris Hatcher, J.P. Howell, Yimi Garcia

San Francisco Giants: Santiago Casilla (closer), Sergio Romo, Hunter Strickland, Javier Lopez, George Kontos

Arizona Diamondbacks: Brad Ziegler (closer), Tyler Clippard, Daniel Hudson, Andrew Chafin, Silvino Bracho

San Diego Padres: Fernando Rodney (closer), Kevin Quackenbush, Drew Pomeranz

Colorado Rockies: Jake McGee (closer), Chad Qualls, Jason Motte, Boone Logan

Quick Hit Baseball Analysis

The Dodgers, Giants and Diamondbacks will return with the same closers from last season. The Diamondbacks made significant upgrades to their team and should contend for the West this year, including one big addition to the bullpen. Recently signed Clippard will be slotted right into the eighth inning and will get more than enough Holds to be a reliable player for both the Dbacks and your fantasy team, if Holds are being counted. The Dodgers will field the same bullpen they had last year. Baez and Hatcher will be the bridge to Jansen and will see their share of Holds as the Dodgers attempt to contend.

The Rockies looked to have a potential closer in Jason Motte but the trade for Jake McGee produced a new projected closer in Colorado. Veteran relievers Motte and Chad Qualls will be first in line for Holds. Both Motte and Qualls have experience in late innings so look for Qualls in the seventh and Motte in the eighth when the Rockies have a lead to hold onto.

The Padres found their closer in free agency as Fernando Rodney projects to be the closer in San Diego. Signed former closer Fernando Rodney will project as the closer for the Padres because the rest of the bullpen is young and inexperienced. Relievers Kevin Quackenbush, Nick Vincent and Drew Pomeranz will be in place to get a few Holds here and there. Quackenbush is looking to rebound from a difficult 2015 campaign but he has the ability to succeed, as evident by his sub-2.50 ERA. Pomeranz had a nearly 100 point difference between his left-handed (.152) and right-handed (.260) batting average splits so expect him to usually see specific left-handed batters but the former starter has shown he is capable of pitching multiple innings too. Don't sleep on Brandon Maurer if he doesn't make the rotation.

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