Well darn

clean up
people usually pay extra for oil pockets
just do not sand on a flat plate
keep the curve
you could use rust remover first
and BVVC schotchbrigh
some polish their lifters first anyway
pics?
You do what you want. Only if You are broke or a cheapskate. Lifters need to be perfect or they won't rotate in the bores and the worst place to have rust is on the bottoms where they contact the cam. Nope, I vote for new ones. I wouldn't take the chance to flatten a lobe and ruin a cam or engine.