Saquon Barkley's Fantasy Outlook After 69-Yard Effort in Giants' Week 2 Loss

Is it too early to start panicking about Saquon Barkley?

After a forgettable opening week, the New York Giants star struggled once again as his team lost to the Washington Football Team 30-29 on Thursday. He carried the ball 13 times for 57 yards and caught two passes for 12 yards on three targets.

His rushing numbers are even worse when considering he scampered for 41 yards on one carry in the first quarter.

This wasn't a great matchup for Barkley from the jump. Washington allowed 4.2 yards per carry in 2020 and held the Los Angeles Chargers to 3.1 yards per carry in its Week 1 loss. Rushing lanes can be few and far between against the WFT front seven.

But there's no question the first two games from the 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year are creating cause for concern. So far, this isn't the same player who led the NFL in yards from scrimmage right out of the gate.

Perhaps it's as simple as Barkley finding his groove again on the field after having missed all but two games in 2020. He wasn't able to practice until early August, and aside from the physical recovery from a major knee injury, there can be a mental hurdle to clear for athletes who have to overcome such a significant setback.

One or two games are all it could take for fantasy managers to see the Pro Bowl version of Barkley again.

Having said that, the Giants placed Shane Lemieux on injured reserve before Thursday's game and then lost Nick Gates to a lower-leg fracture in the first quarter. An already shaky offensive line is now down two of its starters on the interior.

Establishing the run won't get any easier for the next few weeks. 

Benching Barkley remains out of the question in the absence of new problems with his surgically repaired knee or another injury.

The Atlanta Falcons might be the perfect tonic in Week 3 considering they allowed 111 rushing yards to Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell. Should Barkley have another pedestrian performance next week, some tough conversations may be required.