Football (American Football that is) season is right around the corner, and that means it’s almost time to lay the Fantasy Football smackdown on your friends, family, an co-workers. Millions of Americans participate in one or more Fantasy Football leagues every year, and as technology moves forward, so does our ability to perfect our winning season. It seems like only yesterday I was given the ability to set my lineup via a mobile app, and to think now, my next draft may happen live, face-to-face, thanks to Google and the NFL.

Google has teamed up with the NFL to bring NFL.com fantasy members the ability to conduct their drafts via a Google+ Hangout. Google has even upped the number of Hangout participants to 12, due to the standard fantasy league having a dozen members. The Hangouts won’t end with the draft either. Hangouts can extend to trade talks, smack talks, or just plain talks.

This year when you sign up for an NFL.com fantasy league, you’ll have the option to start a Hangout from any NFL.com/fantasy page (including the Draft and Game Centers). You’ll even have a live indicator to let you know if members of your league are Hanging out — that way you can crash their party with your victory dance.

You’ll also be able to:

• Enjoy fantasy Hangouts on the go thanks to the new Google+ app for phones and tablets (Android, iOS).
• Get advice from top NFL Fantasy commentators as they hang out with fans and discuss the week’s results.
• share fantasy articles and tips with your circles—either from the NFL’s site, or their newly-launched Google+ page.
• And more!

For more information on how to get started, visit NFL.com/fantasy. Are you ready for some football!

• SourceGoogle Blog