With how 2018 is playing out it's probably best to look further into at least 2019 I'd say. I like both NEBL and XSPEC as well!  

If XSPEC can deliver everything they plan, they will essentially be a proof of stake Monero, natively built on TOR with stealth staking. So Monero (almost literally tech-wise + TOR and S.S.) with faster, cheaper transactions and you earn by staking? Seems like a winner to me if everything comes to fruition. This is a long play for me, I look back at September of 2015 and see XMR at $0.50 and think of what the future can bring with some patience.  

There are a LOT of good projects, at least in theory, it really does depend on who can deliver of course. Some of the projects I'm also invested or at least keeping an eye on are....

OMG
EOS
KMD
RHOC
VET
ENG
NPXS
KIN
QASH
WAN  

That's not all but definitely some good projects in there.