Sandman's skill set is quite interesting - he is capable of immensely powerful strikes but at the same time, William Baker has some pretty obvious and easily exploitable weaknesses. His ability to strengthen, rebuild, and expand his body through sand gives him the opportunity to deliver superhuman hits, which can end a normal human's life instantly.
On the other hand, Sandman is vulnerable to literally every type of attack that can disrupt the shape of sand structures and there are many of those. William is at his most powerful when he expands his body up until the point when he is transformed into a sand giant with formidable strength. Some of DC Comics villains can be jealous of Baker's abilities and others are so strong that they could actually feel sorry for him. Here are 5 DC Villains that Sandman could defeat and 5 that he can't.
10 Can Beat: Deathstroke
The greatest hitman in the DC universe is still just a human. His bullets, grenades, and rockets will strike at the Sandman but he can regenerate his body within seconds and eventually Slade Wilson will run out of ammo. When that happens, William Baker's full strength, which allows him to lift 85 tons will be unleashed, and Deathstroke's long and impressive career as a hired killer will come to an end.
9 Can't Beat: Darkseid
The ultimate DC villain Darkseid can't possibly be worried about a confrontation with Sandman. His Omega Beams are one of the universe's most powerful weapons and give him the ability to erase living objects from existence.
Even if he wasn't in possession of such an unstoppable force, the mighty antagonist still has the power of telekinesis so controlling and destroying Baker who is made of numerous little light sand particles would be a child's play.
8 Can Beat: Poison Ivy
Unless Poison Ivy manages to seduce Sandman before he takes control of the soil, upon which her plants are growing, she is pretty much doomed. In general, they are a match made in heaven. Pamela Isley would happily grow her endangered species on the patch of earth, which William would provide, but in a direct battle, Baker has the exact tools necessary for the neutralization of Ivy's greatest strength.
7 Can't Beat: Mr. Freeze
In sub-zero temperatures, sand can freeze and what's worse - it might take quite a long time before it is restored to its normal state and only then would Sandman be capable of rebuilding his body. This means that Mr. Freeze will have no problem defeating William Baker because he is in possession of a special Ice Gun, which is not only capable of instantly freezing objects but it is also armed with an acetylene flame shooter. So the Sandman can get turned into both an icicle and glass by Mr. Freeze. There is no way for him to win this fight.
6 Can Beat: Bane
Bane's physical power is undeniable - Bruce Wayne, of all people, can attest to it. That being said, he can lift only 15 tons, which is 70 tons short of the Sandman's capabilities. The fistfight would be epic but short.
Also, Bane does have one weakness and that is his tubes supplying him with his venom. Should they be pierced or filled with sand during the battle, Bane's fighting capabilities will decrease and he is already weak in comparison.
5 Can't Beat: General Zod
The brutal truth is that Sandman can't hold his own against aliens, particularly not Kryptonians because all of them are armed with heat vision. If Zod strikes William Baker, he will not only be able to gradually destroy him with his searing attacks but the General will also manage to do it from a distance meaning that Sandman won't even get the chance to retaliate. Sandman can transform himself into a storm but he is unable to fly as high as Zod.
4 Can Beat: Killer Croc
Killer Croc will last much longer against the monstrous punches of Sandman in comparison with other human-sized DC villains. The reason for that is his crocodile skin, which enables him to survive in the depths of the ocean and take powerful hits.
That being said, there is literally no way for him to take down a sand monster, which could be several times his size. The likely outcome of the battle is that sooner or later, whether it is after a day or two, Waylon Jones will give in to William Baker's superior strength.
3 Can't Beat: Ocean Master
An Earth-inhabitant, which has the power to destroy Sandman in a matter of a few seconds is Ocean Master - the powerful secondary arch-nemesis of Aquaman. The Trident of Orm lets him summon tsunamis that can wreak havoc upon the surface world so, without question, Sandman doesn't stand a chance. The massive waves will literally disintegrate William and spread his sand particles in such ways that it might take months before he reassembles himself.
2 Can Beat: Cheetah
Cheetah's beast form makes her a deadly opponent to any man but not to William Baker when he is transformed into Sandman and uses the full extent of his abilities. Baker's opponents get the upper hand when they are airborne because that way ranged strikes are possible and William's punches become easy to evade. Cheetah can't fly and despite the fact that she is faster and more agile, ultimately her claws and fangs would be totally useless against the regenerative capabilities and overall resilience of the sand monster.
1 Can't Beat: Sinestro
The Yellow Power Ring, which is the weapon of Thaal Sinestro, the arch-nemesis of Green Lantern, gives the villain everything he needs in order to wipe out Sandman. It provides its wearer with numerous abilities but only a few of them are enough to break through William Baker's defenses and neutralize all his attacks. Force-Field Generation will stop the Sandman's punches, the ring's power of flight will keep Sinestro at a safe distance and the Energy Blasts' searing force will vitrify Baker.