Don't forget that in 2017 there will be also the FNX distribution, that is a single snapshot where your NXT holdings will give you the right to claim FNX tokens in a 1:0:5 ratio.
It's true that it can be expected that we will see two local highs in the NXT price in the following year: one near the end (but not directly at the end, I expect it about a week early) of the ARDR snapshot phase, and the other one just before the FNX distribution. You can try to ride that waves. But it may be well the case if the testnet deployment of NXT 2.0 goes well, that there will be a high demand for FNX tokens as it will be the main currency for the asset exchange and regular transactions, and that so NXT may have a even higher price in 2017 than in the 2016 snapshot top.
NXT 2.0 is a bold statement in the cryptocurrency world because of its design that favours scalability (along with IOTA) and makes it work as a platform for a really useful "monetary system" (childchains). If it is successful, it may be a major breakthrough for blockchain technology.
Riding potential NXT price waves between the ARDR snapshot phase and the FNX distribution is too risky. NXT will stay in the top ten or the top five in that timespan. The massive price gains will be between now and the ARDR snapshot phase. After that any potential NXT price waves will be unlikely.