My speculation:
BTC (stable, father of coins, could go to thousands one day)
LTC ("could" be the silver coin to BTC's gold, we will see
)
CNC (could be China's BTC one day, too early to tell but cheap to invest today)
If this is correct, and it's just a guess, then the best money making opportunities would be CNC ($0.15/ea) then LTC ($3.60/ea) then BTC ($120/ea).
But it's all speculation. If the Chinese buy up CNC, then watch it go to the moon (20% of global population over there).
Feathercoin will die (my guess)
Namecoin very useful, will stick around but will never takeoff like BTC did.
PPCoin it's own name will be it's enemy.